Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday criticised the Congress for ‘indulging in divisive politics’ to create a rift among the backward classes and stressed that people will have to remain united to remain safe.

”Some people want to divide the society for vote bank and petty gains, but ‘if we are one, we are safe’,” PM modi said while addressing a programme marking the 200th-anniversary celebrations of Shree Swaminarayan Mandir in Vadtal, Gujarat.

Voting for Maharashtra Assembly Elections will take place on November 20 while for Jharkhand, it will be held in two phases — November 13 and 20.

As the two state head for assembly elections, Modi claimed that ”there is Congress conspiracy to divide the society and country and we have to fight that by remaining united.”

He said this time, the Kumbh Mela is being held in Prayagraj which is taking place after 12 years.

”The world has also accepted this heritage. At least 40-50 crore people come to this Kumbh Mela from 13th January for about 45 days…Educate people across the world and explain to those foreigners who are not of Indian origin what this is Kumbh Mela and try to bring at least 100 foreigners to visit this Kumbh Mela of Prayagraj with great devotion. This will be a work of spreading awareness in the whole world,” he said in his speech.

PM Modi said campaigns by sants and mahatmas to keep the youth away from addiction and make them drug-free, should continue.

“The Swaminarayan community has always worked very hard on de-addiction. Our saints and Mahatmas can make a huge contribution to keeping the youth away from addiction and making them drug-free. Such campaigns and efforts are always necessary to save the youth from addiction and we will have to do this continuously…Now the example of Ayodhya is in front of all of us,” he said.

He said after 500 years, a dream has been fulfilled. ”The transformation of Kashi and Kedar is in front of us…A new consciousness, a new revolution is visible everywhere. Not only this, there was no one to look for the hundreds of years old idols stolen from our country, today after searching and finding our idols which were stolen from the world, the forms of our gods and goddesses which were stolen are coming back, are returning to our temples..,” he noted.

PM Modi said the first condition for ‘Viskit Bharat’ is to make it a ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’. ”Now no outsider will come forward to do this, we will have to do it ourselves. 140 crore countrymen will have to do it. How does it start? It starts with ‘Vocal for Local’…Today unfortunately some people, due to their narrow understanding, are forgetting the important initiative of India’s bright future,” he stated.

He said, “For us, this occasion is proof of the eternal flow of Indian culture. We have kept alive the spiritual consciousness of the Vadtal Dham established by Lord Swami Narayan 200 years ago. We can still experience the teachings and energy of Lord Swaminarayan here” and expressed his happiness that the Centrehas also issued a silver coin of Rs 200 and a commemorative stamp on this occasion.