Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurates Rashtra Prerna Sthal in Lucknow, UP
Lucknow: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Rashtra Prerna Sthal in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh to honour the life and ideals of Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee today. Speaking on the occasion marking Shri Vajpayee’s 101st Birth Anniversary, the Prime Minister remarked that today the land of Lucknow is becoming a witness to a new inspiration. He extended Christmas greetings to the nation and the world. Shri Modi highlighted that in India too, millions of Christian families are celebrating the festival today. He emphasized that this celebration of Christmas should bring happiness into everyone’s lives, which is the collective wish of all.
Highlighting that December 25 brings with it the remarkable occasion of the birth anniversaries of two great personalities of the nation, Shri Modi remarked that Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji and Bharat Ratna Mahamana Madan Mohan Malaviya ji dedicated their lives to safeguarding India’s identity, unity, and pride. The Prime Minister emphasized that both these stalwarts left an indelible mark on nation-building through their immense contributions.
Noting that December 25 also marks the birth anniversary of Maharaja Bijli Pasi ji, Shri Modi highlighted that the famous Bijli Pasi fort of Lucknow is not far from here and emphasized that Maharaja Bijli Pasi left behind a legacy of valor, good governance, and inclusiveness, which the Pasi community has carried forward with pride. He noted the coincidence that it was Atal ji who, in the year 2000, issued a postage stamp in honor of Maharaja Bijli Pasi. He paid respectful homage, offering salutations to Mahamana Malaviya ji, Atal ji, and Maharaja Bijli Pasi.
Shri Modi remarked that a short while ago he had the privilege of inaugurating the Rashtra Prerna Sthal, which symbolizes the vision that showed India the path of self-respect, unity, and service. He highlighted that the grand statues of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay ji, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji stand tall, yet the inspiration they provide is even greater. Quoting lines of Atal ji, the Prime Minister emphasized that this Rashtra Prerna Sthal gives the message that every step, every effort must be dedicated to nation-building, and that collective effort alone will fulfill the resolve of a developed India. He extended congratulations to Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, and the entire nation on this modern inspiration site. He noted that the land on which this Prerna Sthal has been built had, for decades, accumulated a mountain of garbage spread over more than 30 acres, which has been completely cleared in the last three years. The Prime Minister congratulated all the workers, artisans, planners associated with the project, and conveyed special appreciation to the Chief Minister and his entire team for their efforts.
Underlining that Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee played a decisive role in giving direction to the nation, the Prime Minister remarked that it was Dr. Mookerjee who rejected the provision of two constitutions, two emblems, and two prime ministers in India. He emphasized that even after independence, the arrangement in Jammu and Kashmir posed a major challenge to India’s integrity. Shri Modi stated with pride that it was their government that had the opportunity to bring down the wall of Article 370, and today the Constitution of India is fully implemented in Jammu and Kashmir.
Prime Minister further recalled that as the first Industry Minister of independent India, Dr. Mookerjee laid the foundation of economic self-reliance and gave the country its first industrial policy, thereby establishing the basis of industrialization in India. He remarked that today the same mantra of self-reliance is being taken to new heights, with Made in India products reaching across the world. Shri Modi pointed out that in Uttar Pradesh itself, a massive campaign of One District One Product is underway, strengthening small industries and small units. He further highlighted that alongside this, a major defense corridor is being built in Uttar Pradesh. The Prime Minister noted that the BrahMos missile, whose power the world witnessed during Operation Sindoor, is now being manufactured in Lucknow. He emphasized that the day is not far when the defense corridor of Uttar Pradesh will be recognized globally for defense manufacturing.
Underscoring that decades ago Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay ji envisioned the dream of Antyodaya, the Prime Minister remarked that Deendayal ji believed India’s progress should be measured by the smile on the face of the last person in the queue. He emphasized that Deendayal ji spoke of Integral Humanism, where the body, mind, intellect, and soul all develop together. Shri Modi further stated that Deendayal ji’s dream has been adopted as his own resolve, and that Antyodaya has now been given a new dimension of saturation, meaning every needy person and every beneficiary is brought under the ambit of government welfare schemes. The Prime Minister underlined that when the spirit of saturation exists, there is no discrimination, and this is true good governance, true social justice, and true secularism. He remarked that today, millions of citizens of the country, without discrimination, are receiving for the first time pucca houses, toilets, tap water, electricity, and gas connections. He further highlighted that millions are receiving free ration and free medical treatment for the first time. The Prime Minister stressed that when efforts are made to reach the last person standing in the line, justice is being done to the vision of Pandit Deendayal ji.
“In the past decade, crores of Indians have overcome poverty”, emphasised Shri Modi, remarking that this was possible because their government prioritized those who had been left behind, those standing in the last line. He stated that before 2014, around 25 crore citizens were covered under social security schemes, whereas today nearly 95 crore Indians are within this protective shield, with a large number of beneficiaries in Uttar Pradesh as well. The Prime Minister gave the example that just as bank accounts were once limited to a few, insurance too was confined to the affluent. He emphasized that his government took the responsibility of extending insurance security to the last person. For this, the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana was launched, ensuring insurance of two lakh rupees at a nominal premium, and today more than 25 crore poor citizens are enrolled in this scheme. Similarly, he noted that the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana for accident insurance has connected nearly 55 crore poor citizens, who earlier could not even think of insurance. Shri Modi remarked that it would surprise many to know that these schemes have already provided claims worth nearly 25,000 crore rupees to beneficiaries, meaning that in times of crisis this money has supported poor families.
The Prime Minister remarked that the birth anniversary of Atal ji is also a day to celebrate good governance. He highlighted that for a long time, slogans like poverty eradication were considered governance, but Atal ji truly brought good governance to the ground. Shri Modi emphasized that while today there is much discussion about digital identity, it was Atal ji’s government that laid its foundation. He noted that the special card initiative started at that time has today become world-renowned as Aadhaar. The Prime Minister further stated that the credit for accelerating the telecom revolution in India also goes to Atal ji. He highlighted that the telecom policy framed by his government made it easier to bring phones and internet to every household, and today India is among the countries with the highest number of mobile and internet users in the world.
Shri Modi remarked that Atal ji would be pleased that in the past 11 years India has become the world’s second-largest mobile phone manufacturer. He highlighted that Uttar Pradesh, the state from which Atal ji served as a Member of Parliament, is today the number one mobile manufacturing state in India.
The Prime Minister emphasized that Atal ji’s vision for connectivity gave early strength to 21st century India. He recalled that it was during Atal ji’s government that the campaign to connect villages with roads was launched, and the work on the Golden Quadrilateral highway expansion began.
Shri Modi further pointed out that since the year 2000, under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, nearly 8 lakh kilometers of rural roads have been built, of which about 4 lakh kilometers were constructed in the last 10–11 years. He noted that today expressways are being built at unprecedented speed across the country, and Uttar Pradesh is establishing its identity as an expressway state. The Prime Minister further highlighted that it was Atal ji who initiated the Delhi Metro, and today metro networks in more than 20 cities across the country are making life easier for millions of people. He remarked that the legacy of good governance created by their government is now being expanded and given new dimensions by their governments at the Centre and in the states.
Highlighting that the inspiration of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay ji, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji, along with their visionary work and grand statues, form a strong foundation for a developed India, Shri Modi remarked that these statues today are filling the nation with new energy. He emphasized that it must not be forgotten how, after independence, there emerged a tendency to link every good work in India to a single family—whether books, government schemes, institutions, streets, or squares, all were associated with the glorification of one family, their names, and their statues. He stated that their party has freed the country from this old practice of being held hostage to one family. The Prime Minister underlined that his government is honoring every immortal child of Mother India and every contribution made in service of the nation. He gave examples, noting that today the statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose stands proudly at Kartavya Path in Delhi, and the island in Andaman where Netaji hoisted the tricolor has now been named after him.
Mentioning that no one can forget how attempts were made to erase the legacy of Babasaheb Ambedkar, the Prime Minister stated that the opposition parties committed this sin in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. He emphasized that their party ensured Babasaheb’s legacy was not allowed to be erased. He highlighted that today, from Delhi to London, Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Panchteerth are proclaiming his legacy.
The Prime Minister further recalled that Sardar Patel had united a country divided into hundreds of princely states, but after independence, efforts were made to diminish both his work and stature. He underlined that it was their party that gave Sardar Patel the respect he truly deserved. The Prime Minister noted that it was their government that built the world’s tallest statue of Sardar Patel and developed Ekta Nagar as a site of inspiration. He emphasized that every year, on 31st October, the nation now holds the main celebration of National Unity Day at this site.
Noting that for decades the contributions of tribal communities were not given due recognition, Shri Modi highlighted that it was his government that built the grand memorial of Bhagwan Birsa Munda and only a few weeks ago inaugurated the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Tribal Museum in Chhattisgarh. The Prime Minister emphasized that there are numerous such examples across the country, noting that in Uttar Pradesh the memorial of Maharaja Suheldev was constructed only after their government came to power. He stated that the site where Nishadraj and Lord Shri Ram met has now finally received due respect. The Prime Minister underlined that from Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh to the martyrs of Chauri Chaura, the contributions of the sons of Mother India have been remembered with full reverence and humility by their government.
Underlining that family-based politics has a distinct identity, filled with insecurity, Shri Modi said this compels such leaders to diminish others in order to make their own family appear larger and keep their influence intact. The Prime Minister stressed that this mindset introduced political untouchability in India. He pointed out that although many Prime Ministers served independent India, the museum in Delhi ignored several of them. He emphasized that it was their government that corrected this situation, and today when one visits Delhi, the grand Prime Ministers’ Museum welcomes them, where every Prime Minister of independent India, regardless of how short their tenure was, has been given due respect and rightful place.
The Prime Minister remarked that the Opposition and its allies always kept their party politically untouchable, but the values of their party teach respect for all. He highlighted that in the past 11 years, during their government, Shri Narasimha Rao ji and Shri Pranab Mukherjee ji were conferred the Bharat Ratna. The Prime Minister emphasized that it was his government which honored leaders like Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav ji and Shri Tarun Gogoi ji with national awards, something that could never be expected from opposition and their allies, under whose rule leaders from other parties only faced insult.
Underscoring that their governments at the Union and State have greatly benefited Uttar Pradesh, which is carving out a distinct identity in 21st century India, The Prime Minister, himself a Member of Parliament from Uttar Pradesh, expressed pride in saying that the hardworking people of the state are writing a new future. He recalled that once Uttar Pradesh was discussed in terms of poor law and order, but today it is discussed for development. Highlighting that Uttar Pradesh is rapidly emerging on the country’s tourism map, with the grand Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and the Kashi Vishwanath Dham becoming symbols of the state’s new identity in the world, the Prime Minister noted that modern constructions like the Rashtra Prerna Sthal further brighten the new image of Uttar Pradesh.
The Prime Minister concluded with the wish that Uttar Pradesh continues to achieve greater heights as a model of good governance, prosperity, and true social justice, and once again extended congratulations on the Rashtra Prerna Sthal.
Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Smt Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Yogi Adityanath, Union Ministers, Shri Rajnath Singh, Shri Pankaj Chaudhary were present among others at the event.