Taking on the Opposition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday cautioned against the practice of putting ideological and political interests over the well-being of society and the country. He said it was the responsibility of every political party that opposition to a party or a person should not turn into hostility against the country.
“There is a place for ideology and political aspirations but country and society always come first,” he said. Sometimes, opposition parties obstruct the work of the ruling party only because they could not implement those policies when they were in power, Mr. Modi claimed.
The PM was addressing the 10th death anniversary event of former Rajya Sabha member Chaudhary Harmohan Singh Yadav. One of the foremost leaders of the Samajwadi Party, Mr. Yadav had been a trusted friend of party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Observers were of the opinion the address was part of the BJP’s efforts to reach out to the Yadav community ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The victory in the Azamgarh Lok Sabha by-poll has indicated that a section of the Yadav vote bank has shifted towards the BJP. While the BJP was engaged in this effort, the SP instead organised events in the memory of former party MP Phoolan Devi on the occasion of her death anniversary the same day.
At the BJP’s event, Mr. Modi was all praise for Mr. Yadav stand against the Emergency and the anti-Sikh riots, adding that most parties, particularly non-Congress parties, had followed the practice of cooperation and harmony in the interest of the country. “They (the parties) realised that existence of parties was because of democracy and the existence of democracy is because of the country. However, in recent times, we see the practice of putting ideological and political interests over the interest of society and the country has gained traction,” he said.
Stating that social justice meant equal opportunity for all, he pointed out, “Harmohan- ji believed it could be achieved by providing access to quality education to all.”
Mr. Modi went on to describe the day as historic for Indian democracy as a tribal woman had become the President of the country.
