PM Modi urges BJP workers to focus on social reform, not vote bank politics

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged BJP workers to focus on social reform and positive change rather than vote bank politics. Interacting with Seva Yatra participants, he highlighted rural development, women’s self-reliance and the importance of service and grassroots engagement

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged BJP workers to focus on social reform and positive change rather than vote bank politics.

Interacting virtually with participants of ‘Seva Yatra’, an ongoing motorcycle rally travelling from Varanasi to Vadnagar, Modi also said that over the past 12 years, the gap between cities and villages in India has significantly narrowed and infrastructure in villages has improved to a great extent.

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He said self-reliance among women has also increased in the country.

“When we look at the life of Mahatma Gandhi, we see that alongside fighting against the British and leading the freedom movement, he was also a great social reformer. He always worked against the evils prevalent in society.

“Therefore, we political workers too must continue working towards social reform and positive change, not look to vote banks. Those who serve society deserve to have their service respected,” Modi said.

During the interaction, the prime minister praised those who carried out sanitation work in Prayagraj, noting that their efforts made the ‘Kumbh Mela’ famous worldwide for sanitation and elevated India’s honour.

“So, I felt compelled to wash the feet of those who have enhanced India’s honour so much, to seek their blessings,” he said.

Modi said the ‘Seva Yatra’ has played a very important role in his own life and there is hardly any district in the country that he has not had the privilege of visiting.

“There are countless districts where I have had the opportunity to spend the night.

“Every journey and every experience I have gathered along the way continues to guide me like a guru even today. These journeys have taught me so much,” he said.

Two bike rallies were flagged off at Vadnagar and Varanasi on September 17, Modi’s 76th birthday, and they will end on October 7.

The bike rallies — from Vadnagar to Varanasi and from Varanasi to Vadnagar — are being carried out to mark Prime Minister Modi’s 25 years of public service.

Vadnagar in Gujarat is the birthplace of Modi, while Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh has been his Lok Sabha constituency since 2014.

The two rallies are passing through towns, districts and villages to take the spirit of service directly to the grassroots.

Modi said Vadnagar gave him the values that shaped his life, and Kashi (Varanasi) has added countless colours of service to those values.

“I am glad that all of you, young friends are also enriching this journey with the many colours of service,” he said.

The two bike rallies are bringing together several dimensions of public engagement, including ‘seva’ (service), ‘sampark’ (connect), youth participation, social welfare, cultural connect and community mobilisation, and carrying them from one grassroots location to another.

Paying tributes to ‘Sangh Parivar’ ideologue Deendayal Upadhyaya, the prime minister said Upadhyaya had talked about seven principles to fulfil duties towards society and those seven principles fill every BJP worker with new energy.

These seven principles are Spirit of Service, Balance, Self-restraint, Coordinators, Positivity, Sensitivity and Dialogue, he said.

“We will only stop after building a developed India. This sentiment is manifested in the ‘Seva Sankalp Yatra’, and this sentiment is visible everywhere,” he said.

On Thursday, the prime minister interacted with those travelling from Vadnagar to Varanasi.

The participants of the two bike rallies are not simply passing through communities but are meeting people and rendering ‘seva’ (service) through activities that respond to local needs, sources said.

Interacting with beneficiaries of government welfare schemes, youth and women to understand the changes brought by welfare and empowerment schemes is one of the key objectives of the rallies.

The flag-off event in Vadnagar was attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde and Union Minister Anupriya Patel, among others.

The Varanasi event was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Union Minister Chirag Paswan, besides other leaders.

Modi served as the chief minister of Gujarat from October 7, 2001, to May 22, 2014. He became prime minister of India on May 26, 2014, and has remained in office since then.