May 17, 2024 08:14 AM IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during an interview on Thursday that he is seeking ideas from the youth of India for his development agenda
Confident of returning to power for a third term, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government already has a blueprint for the next 100 days ready, as disclosed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a television interview on Thursday.
The blueprint, which he plans to extend to 125 days, was prepared after witnessing the enthusiasm among first-time voters and the youth of India, he said. The PM had earlier included youths among the four castes that he said were a priority for his government, the others being, women, farmers and the poor.
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The PM also conveyed how he is seeking ideas from the youth for his development agenda .“I want the involvement of the youth and want them to share their ideas. I want to dedicate 25 days in total to the youth of my country. I will do it, I am moving ahead from 100 days,” he said.
Inputs from over 2 million people across the country have already been gathered to help draft the blueprint of the government’s agenda for the first 100 days.
Amit Shah in the Valley
Union home minister Amit Shah’s visit to the Kashmir Valley amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections has come as a surprise to many as the BJP is not contesting in any of the three seats in the valley. However, Shah’s visit is expected to galvanise the cadre ahead of the assembly elections. The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to ensure that assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir are held by September this year. During his two-day visit, Shah is meeting representatives of various communities, including the Pahadis who were recently given the benefits of reservation in the Union Territory.
He is also learnt to have directed the party into to begin preparations for the assembly elections. The cadre in the UT was dismayed by the leadership’s decision of not contesting the three seats in the valley. A senior leader said the decision was taken for strategic reasons.
Quotas
Notwithstanding the BJP’s assertion that there will be no changes to the Constitution or the existing caste-based quota system, its political opponents continue to raise the matter.
Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday alleged that if the BJP is voted back to power with a majority, it will end reservation for SCs, STs, OBCs.
Addressing public gatherings in Punjab, he said the BJP’s slogan of “400 paar” was an indication of wanting a brute majority to make changes to the Constitution. “We asked why they need 400 seats. They said (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi ji wants to do many big things. But we found out that Modi ji wants to end reservation, which was given by Babasaheb Ambedkar,” Kejriwal alleged.
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Smriti covers an intersection of politics and governance. Having spent over a decade in journalism, she combines old fashioned leg work with modern story telling tools.
