Accusing the previous Congress regimes of focussing only on vote-bank politics rather than on the development needs of the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday, said the BJP-led Central Government is working to create a new India.

Addressing a massive rally in Shimla on the occasion of the completion of eight years of BJP rule at the Centre, the prime minister alleged that previous Congress governments worked only with the intention of creating a vote bank which he said adversely affected the country.

“When you are working to serve the 130 crore population of the country, the only aim should be the welfare of the people, not the vote bank. Our government ensured that 100 percent benefits of government schemes reach the eligible persons without any discrimination, corruption or appeasement politics,” he said.

“Earlier, the political leaders used to say that when the Central government sends Re. 1 for the common man, only 15 paise used to reach them. There was a huge leakage of money wherein middlemen used to usurp the money meant for the poor and needy but all that has changed now as the benefits are now directly reaching the beneficiaries,” the PM added.

The PM said after the BJP came into power, there were around 9 crore fake beneficiaries of government schemes that were deleted. Imagine if these continued to remain in the system, the benefits the government provided to people during Covid pandemic wouldn’t have reached them, which would have been a great injustice.

The Central government is now working for setting a base for 100 years of India’s independence in 2047 for which various infrastructural projects are being carried out, he stated.

PM Modi further stated that India now looks into the eyes of any country and negotiates any issue without any compulsions which is a far better position than it was under the previous governments. The Indian government even helped 50 countries of the world during Covid in which Baddi Pharma belt in Himachal Pradesh played a crucial role.

The BJP government is also focusing on creating a modern India where there is adequate production to meet the domestic demand besides catering to the needs of the world.

The Central government is also focusing on creating more production hubs in the country and ensuring acceptance of local goods under the ‘Vocal for Local’ campaign, he said citing the example of Kullu products reaching Varanasi.

He lauded the Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur Government for ensuring the development of all sections of the society and making Himachal the first state in the country to carry out Covid vaccination. He said as he was associated with the state in the past, he had fond memories of various places and had a special affection for the state.

“When BJP national chief J P Nadda and CM Jai Ram Thakur suggested him to hold a function on the completion of eight years of BJP government in Himachal, I immediately accepted the proposal. What would be a better place to celebrate the achievement than my old ‘Karma Bhoomi’,” he asked.

During the programme, styled ‘Garib Kalyan Sammelan’, PM Modi interacted with beneficiaries of various government schemes including 9 crore farmers to whose bank accounts the government transferred Rs 21,000 crore under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi.