Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the century belongs to India, the India that possesses the youth power of the world.

Addressing the youth on the ‘Yuvam 2023’ programme organised by the Kerala BJP at the Sacred Heart college ground in Kochi, Prime Minister Modi said India is growing fast and the country will change the world.

Lamenting that in the past the country used to be considered among the five weak economies in the world, the prime minister claimed that now the perception has changed. Today India has become the fastest-growing economy in the world.

Stating that Startup India and Stand-Up India are the role models for the world, Modi said the world is now discussing about digital India.

Alleging that the previous governments in the country were notorious for scams, he claimed that the BJP government at the Centre was free from corruption. It is offering new opportunities to youth. Highways, railways, and waterways are coming up in Kerala and across the country giving employment opportunities to the unemployed.

He said young Malayalees are also coming forward to fulfill the new mission of the country. In this context, the prime minister cited the G20 meetings held in Kerala successfully.

He said the BJP and the youths in the country are on the same ‘wavelength’ and that he has faith in the youth of the country. “The BJP and the youth share the same vision. The government is working with the youth. BJP strives to enable youth-led development. The BJP Government is providing opportunities for the youth in every field,” he said.

Atmanirbhar Bharat, which was devised by the BJP, gives a lot of opportunities to the youth, a number of projects were brought up in space, defence and all other sectors, he said.

Modi exuded confidence that Kerala too would accept BJP, its policies and governance in the coming days. “Be it in Northeastern states or Goa, there are large communities that have supported the BJP. We hope there will be such a change in Kerala too,” he hoped.

The prime minister further said that the two fronts in the state were turning Kerala into a den of corruption and the Young people are struggling between these two ideals. But the government at the Centre is working to fulfill the aspirations of the youth.

Taking a dig at the CPI-M Government in the state on the gold smuggling scandal in which Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s principal secretary was an accused, Modi said, “Some people are working night and day to smuggle gold here in Kerala.”

He said the Indian government has launched a special mission, Operation Kaveri, to evacuate Indians stuck in the civil war torn Sudan. Minister of State for External Affairs V Muralidharan will supervise the evacuation operations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Kerala, received a warm welcome in Kochi on Monday. Dressed in traditional Kerala costume, white jubba and matching dhoti, he landed at the naval airport in Willingdon Island in Kochi around 5 pm on Monday.

Later, he attended a road show with a tight security cover and walked from Venduruthy Bridge to Thevara College. A large number of people, including BJP activists could be seen gathered alongside the road to greet the PM.

The roadshow in Kochi was markedly different from the PM’s other road shows, where he usually rides on an open-top vehicle. Here in Kochi, he walked during the roadshow.

Actresses Aparna Balamurali, Navya Nair, singer Vijay Yesudas, and others were part of the Yuvam event. Performances by Navya Nair and Stephen Devasi were organised as part of ‘Yuvam’ programme.  Prominent BJP state leaders like Prakash Javadekar, K Surendran, Suresh Gopi, Unni Mukundan, and Anil Antony, son of Congress leader AK Antony, also participated in the event.