Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday, while addressing party workers and leaders on the second day of the BJP’s national convention here, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has established the politics of performance in the country.

He said Prime Minister Modi has freed the country from corruption, casteism, appeasement and dynasticism among other evils, adding that this should have been done immediately after Independence but the Congress never bothered to do so.

“From day one since assuming the office of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi gave 140 crore fellow citizens the courage to not only dream of a new and a great India but also make a collective effort to realise that dream and the larger goal to take the country to new heights,” said Shah.

“Prime Minister Modi underlined his goal before the country: to make India a developed country by the end of ‘Amrit Kaal’ in 2047. We are working towards a self-reliant India, an India free from the shackles of slavery. This solemn resolution of ours stems from the collective determination and confidence of 140 crore Indians to take their country to new heights of development and progress,” added Shah.

Hitting out at the Opposition, the Union Home Minister said: “The Congress and INDIA bloc have started the Bharat Jodo Yatra. This is nothing more than a pre-election gimmick. The Congress always initiates campaigns with the aim to win elections.”

In contrast, since 1950, the BJP has a history of conducting movements solely for the benefit of the people, Shah said. “Movements like the Kutch Satyagraha, the campaign against cow slaughter, and the Ram Janm Bhoomi movement are examples of campaigns that the BJP has undertaken. We work for the people, not for power,” he stressed.

“We have our National Convention at the time when elections are just around the corner. After this convention, we will go back to our constituencies with a resolve to make Prime Minister Modi’s dream of ‘Viksit Bharat’ a reality,” the Union Home Minister said.

The Union Home Minister claimed that by winning for the third time, they will make India the third largest economy in the world.

He said in the 75 years of Independent India, there have been 17 Lok Sabha elections, 22 governments and 15 Prime Ministers.

“Every government in the country has tried to bring development as per its own time. But today I can say without any confusion that the work of overall development, development of every sector and development of every individual has only happened in the 10 years of PM Narendra Modi’s government,” the Union Home Minister said.

Further hitting out at the Opposition bloc, Shah said, “What ideals do they (INDIA) represent? Where do they plan to take the country if elected? PM Modi is working towards a self-reliant India while Sonia Gandhi is aspiring to make (her son) Rahul Gandhi PM. (Sharad) Pawar Saheb is aiming to make his daughter (Supriya Sule) the CM while Mamata Banerjee is working to make her nephew (Abhishek Banerjee) the chief minister. (DMK chief MK) Stalin’s aim is to make his son (Udhayanidhi) the CM, Lalu Yadav wants make his son the CM, Uddhav Thackeray, too, is aiming to make his son the CM while Mulayam Singh Yadav ensured that his son became the CM. Can those, who only aspire to appropriate power for themselves and their kin, ever work for the welfare of the poor?”

Earlier, on the inaugural day of the national convention on Saturday, the BJP passed a significant political resolution titled ‘Viksit Bharat’, highlighting the achievements of the Centre under Prime Minister Modi. It added that the BJP would return for a third term at the Centre and carry forward its roadmap for holistic development and welfare.