Attempts to divide India must be thwarted: PM Narendra Modi | Latest news India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday warned against attempts by vested interests to fragment society along caste, religious and linguistic lines, stressing that national unity and social cohesion are essential for the goal of India to become a developed nation by 2047.

Speaking via video conference during the 200th anniversary celebrations of the Shri Swaminarayan Temple in Gujarat, Modi stressed the importance of unity in the face of divisive agendas, calling for collective action to safeguard national integrity.

Unity among citizens and integrity of the nation are important to make India a developed nation by 2047. There are forces working to divide our society on the basis of caste, creed, language, social status, gender and the divide between rural and urban areas. We must recognize the seriousness of these attempts by those who seek to harm our nation, understand the threat they pose and work collectively to defeat such divisive acts, Modi said.

We must understand the seriousness of the intentions of these anti-nationals and we will have to come together to defeat them, he said in his speech via video conference. The first key step to making India a developed nation is atmanaribharta (self-reliance), he added.

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Later in the day, Modi said the Congress was trying to break the collective strength of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other Backward Classes by creating divisions among them to weaken their voice and eventually end reservation for them , calling for unity between these communities.

That's why I keep saying ek rahenge, toh safe rahenge (if you stay united, you will be safe), he said during his interaction with Bharatiya Janata Party workers in Jharkhand through the app NaMo.

The comments came amid a heated campaign for parliamentary elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. In the first case, a BJP-led coalition seeks to retain power while in the second, the opposition National Alliance for Inclusive Development (INDIA) hopes to win a second consecutive term.

In both states, the debate around a caste census, a key demand of the opposition, is among the main issues of the campaign.

In his virtual speech, the Prime Minister praised the long-standing role of clairvoyants in guiding humanity towards purpose. Every person's life has a purpose that defines it. When we discover our life's purpose, it changes everything. Saints and sages have, in every age, helped humanity achieve its goal. This has been an immense contribution of saints and sages to our society.

Modi highlighted India's unique tradition of spiritual leaders emerging during times of national crisis. He observed that the emergence of Lord Swaminarayan at a time of colonial subjugation, when national confidence had ebbed, proved historically significant. He said that Lord Swaminarayan and all the seers of this period not only released new spiritual energy but also awakened the country's self-respect and revival of national identity.

In his speech, the Prime Minister highlighted the failures of the five-year Congress Mukti Morcha government in Jharkhand and said Jharkhand must be freed from corruption, mafia and mismanagement to put it on the path of progress.

Modi said everyone from Congress royalty, Jawaharlal Nehru to Rajiv Gandhi were staunch opponents of provision of reservations and the party crushed every voice raised in its favor until head of the panchayat in Parliament as a Dalit, the backward and adivasi societies were then dispersed.

But gradually they started understanding what Dr BR Ambedkar was saying and came together to pose a challenge to the Congress of many states, Modi said. The OBC was able to meet only in 1990. But when it did meet, the Congress suffered heavy losses. Since then, the Congress has failed to form its government with a full majority. Today he only has his government in three states of the country, he added.

Modi said the Congress decided to break the collective strength of these communities while the royal family was angry.

This has become their (Congressional) agenda in recent years. This is because the states which have the highest number of Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis are today under BJP-NDA rule and there is no possibility of the Congress coming to power in these states, he declared.

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When these societies divide into smaller castes, their voice as SC, ST and OBC will become weak. The day this happens, the Congressional conspiracy will succeed. It will also eliminate reservations, he said.

That’s why I keep saying ek rahenge, toh safe rahenge (if you stay united, you will be safe). All OBC, SC and ST societies should remain united, Modi added.

In his address to the seers, the Prime Minister said the demand for qualified young Indians would increase significantly in the future.

Today, a majority of the world leaders I meet express the wish that Indian youth come and work in their country. Our youth is capable of meeting the needs of India as well as the world, he said.

Highlighting the need to preserve India's cultural heritage, Modi said his government believed in the mantra of Vikas Bhi Virasat Bhi (development and preservation of heritage).

Referring to the Kumbh Mela declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO, Modi urged the Swaminarayan sect to make people in other countries understand the importance of religious congregation and why it is celebrated.

He said the upcoming Kumbh Mela, to be held between January and February next year in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, will be the Purna Kumbh celebrated after a gap of 12 years.

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Your temples are located across the world. I urge you to spread awareness about this Kumbh Mela through your temples. You also need to make foreigners understand the importance of Kumbh Mela and why it is celebrated. Every temple in the world should try to bring at least 100 foreigners to the Kumbh Mela. I know you can do it, Modi said.

The Prime Minister hailed Vadtal Dham, a temple founded by Lord Swaminarayan two centuries ago, as an enduring emblem of India's spiritual heritage and cultural continuity. To commemorate this milestone, he announced the release of a special copy 200 silver coin and postal stamp. He said the Swaminarayan communities were actively participating in government programs, especially in their environment conservation efforts.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday accused Modi of oppressing the opposition and overthrowing elected governments.