'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' is an article of faith, says Modi

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday proposed 11 pledges as he outlined his vision for a developed India, hailed the welfare outreach of his government, and said that inclusive development was an "article of faith" for him.

- HT Correspondent

Speaking during the two-day special debate in the Lok Sabha marking 75 years of the Constitution, Modi said that his government was always dedicated to protecting the spirit of the Constitution, which is why it worked to strengthen the unity of the country, propel women-led development, and push for a "secular civil code". He also repeatedly attacked dynasty politics, reiterating his call for 100,000 young people with no political background to join mainstream politics.

"Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas are not just words for me, it is an article of faith. The Constitution doesn't allow us to discriminate. This is why we speak of saturation of our schemes. This is true secularism, true social justice," Modi said.

His resolutions included upholding existing reservations, opposing religious quotas, calling to end dynastic politics, promoting meritocracy, and zero-tolerance to corruption.

In his 110-minute speech, Modi praised the common citizen for strengthening the Constitution and quoted Constituent Assembly members Purushottamdas Tandon, S Radhakrishnan and BR Ambedkar to argue that India's founders knew of its rich heritage and tradition of democracy that spanned centuries and didn't begin in 1947.