In a veiled attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on reservation and Sikhs during the US visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said people should beware of those ”intending to divide society and insulting Indian traditions and culture” on foreign lands.

He was also sharply critical of the Opposition parties which had raised a storm over his recent visit to the Chief Justice of India’s residence for Ganpati Puja.
The PM was addressing the National PM Vishwakarma Programme at Wardha in Maharashtra where he also launched the ‘Acharya Chanakya Skill Development Scheme’ and the ‘Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Women Startup Scheme’. He released certificates and loans to PM Vishwakarma beneficiaries and also a commemorative stamp dedicated to mark one year of progress under PM Vishwakarma.

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Speaking on the occasion, Modi recalled Ganesh Utsav becoming a festival of unity in India during the freedom struggle under the leadership of Lokmanya Tilak in which people from every class and society joined the celebrations and urged the citizens to stand with tradition and the agenda of respect and development. “Together we will protect Maharashtra’s identity and boost its pride. We will fulfill the dreams of Maharashtra,” the PM said.

He underlined that today is a special day as Mahatma Gandhi had started the campaign against untouchability in 1932 on this day. He stated that with the PM Vishwakarma Yojna, the government has resolved to create a better future through skill development and ‘shram to samriddhi’ (hard work to prosperity).
Noting that the foundation stone of the PM MITRA park was laid today, he highlighted how the government is working to take its textile industry to the pinnacle of the world’s markets. He also added that India’s target is to re-establish the centuries-old fame and recognition of India’s textile industries.

The PM explained that Wardha in Maharashtra was chosen for the first anniversary of the PM Vishwakarma Yojana as it is not just another government programme but a scheme to propel India to become a developed country.

He claimed that previous governments constantly neglected the Vishwakarma community by forgetting to respect crafts and skills. This was primarily the reason why India started lagging behind in the race for progress and modernity.
Highlighting that the present government resolved to bring new energy to traditional skills after 70 years of independence, he mentioned that ‘Samman, Samarthya, Samridhi’, (Respect, Capability and Prosperity) make for the spirit of PM Vishwakarma Yojna. He also said his government’s objective is to respect traditional crafts, empower artisans and ensure prosperity for Vishwakarmas.

The PM drew attention to the large-scale and unprecedented collaborations of different departments to make PM Vishwakarma a success and informed that more than 700 districts, 2.5 lakh gram panchayats, and 5000 urban local units are giving momentum to the scheme. In the last year, Modi added, more than 20 lakh people with 18 different traditional skills have been connected to PM Vishwakarma Yojna.
Further noting the contributions of the SC, ST, and OBC communities towards traditional skills, the PM said they were neglected by the previous governments and said it is the present government that put an end to the anti-backward mentality. He shed light on the statistics of the previous year and said that the SC, ST, and OBC communities are taking the maximum benefit of Vishwakarma Yojana.
Expressing his desire that the people of the Vishwakarma community should not only remain mere artisans but become entrepreneurs and business owners, the PM mentioned providing MSME status to the work done by Vishwakarmas.

PM Modi also spoke about the “Skill India Mission” because of which India’s skills are being recognised around the world. ”The textile industry is one with immense industrial possibilities in Maharashtra,” he emphasised.

Acknowledging the role of Maharashtra’s farmers in driving the state’s multi-dimensional progress, he stressed that the prosperity of the nation is closely tied to the happiness of farmers. He added that the double-engine government is committed to working together to enhance farmers’ prosperity.