New Delhi: Hailing of the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said the former not only gave his fellow citizens the courage to dream of a ‘Shrestha Bharat’ (great India) but also make a collective effort to realise that dream.

Addressing party supporters and leaders on the second day of the BJP’s ongoing National Convention, Shah said he was convinced that the BJP-led NDA would win a thumping mandate in the Lok Sabha polls and PM Modi would return for a third, straight term in office.

“From day one since assuming the office of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi-ji gave 140 crore fellow citizens the courage to not only dream of a new and a great India but also make a collective effort to realise that dream and the larger goal to take the country to new heights. He underlined his goal before the country: to make India a developed country by the end of the ‘Amrit Kaal’–2047. We are working towards a self-reliant India, an India free from the shackles of slavery. This solemn resolution of ours stems from the collective determination and confidence of 140 crore Indians to take their country to new heights of development and progress,” the Union Home Minister said to loud applause from supporters in the audience.

Launching a blistering takedown of the Opposition bloc, Shah said, “The INDI alliance and the Congress are out to defame the country and are inflicting open wounds on the country’s democratic soul and framework. They tainted our democracy with corruption, nepotism, appeasement and casteism. Such nepotistic parties worked to stifle public opinion when in power. It was PM Modi who put the country to the path of development and progress over the last 10 years while ridding the administration and our political culture from the vices of corruption, nepotism, appeasement and casteism. Modi hounoured his mandate with aplomb and discharged his salient responsibilities without fear of favour. Due to the actions of our previous governments, the people grew disillusioned and developed a collective inferiority complex. We have managed to rid them of this sense of despondency and filled them with hope of a Shreshtha Bharat.”

He said that party workers will spread the word about PM Modi’s vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (developed India) by 2047.

“From here, our workers will go back to wherever they came from and will raise general awareness on our collective vision of a Viksit Bharat. As this convention concludes, we will go to every constituency with Modi-ji’s where he sees India in 2047. There shouldn’t even be a sliver of doubt that the entire country has made up its mind to elect Modi-ji as the Prime Minister for the third time,” the Union Home Minister said.

“As many as 60 crore poor people, today, have bank accounts. Even a poor woman, in the Digital India of today, cooks a proper meal for herself and that of her dependents. Our leader, Narendra Modi, lifted the poor out 70 years of deprivation and neglect in just a decade of rule. Today, these 60 million people have come to regard themselves as dignified citizens. They are now realising the significance of our Constitution. This is the massive change that has taken place over the last 10 years of our government,” Shah added.

Further hitting out at the Opposition bloc, Shah said, “For the first time, PM Modi gave the call for liberating the country from the chains of slavery. This should have been done from the day after we won our freedom. As long as the Congress was in power, they did not even give a thought to removing the symbols of slavery from the country.”

“What ideals to they (INDIA) represent? Where do they plan to take the country if elected? PM Modi is working at a self-reliant India while Sonia Gandhi is aspiring to make (her son) Rahul Gandhi PM. (Sharad) Pawar Saheb is aiming to make his daughter (Supriya Sule) the CM while Mamata Banerjee is working to make her nephew (Abhishek Banerjee) the chief minister. (DMK chief MK) Stalin’s aim is to make his son (Udhayanidhi) the CM, Lalu Yadav wants make his son the CM, Uddhav Thackeray, too, is aiming to make his son the CM while Mulayam Singh Yadav ensured that his son became the CM. Can those, who only aspire to appropriate power for themselves and their kin, ever work for the welfare of the poor?” Shah added.

Earlier, on the inaugural day of the national convention on Saturday, the BJP passed a significant political resolution titled ‘Viksit Bharat’, highlighting the achievements of the Centre under Prime Minister Modi. It added that the BJP would return for a third term at the Centre and carry forward its roadmap for holistic development and welfare.