At BJP meet, Modi seeks another chance to 'serve'; lambasts all in opposition

It was during his first Independence Day speech in 2014 that Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was the pradhan sevak and was here to serve. As he nears the end of his tenure, Modi asked people what kind of sevak they want to elect in 2019, the one who acts against the interests of the family or for them.

“The country should decide what kind of sevak they want. Do they want someone who goes for two months of holidays, the one who creates dissensions within the family, or collaborates with those from outside the family. Or they want a sevak who works tirelessly for 18 hours a day,” Modi said as he made an impassioned appeal to voters to elect him again. The prime minister was speaking at the conclusion of the two-day national council meeting of the BJP at Ram Lila Maidan in the national capital.

In his two-hour long speech, Modi highlighted the works done by him during the five years of his tenure.

The main takeaway of his speech was how he differentiated himself from those that are opposed to him.

“It is perhaps for the first time that so many people have gathered to defeat one person. They (the opposition) want a majboor sarkar (helpless government), we want a majboot sarkar (strong government). They want a helpless government so that they can loot and undermine the institutions.”

“I have always respected the institutions. Even during my days as Gujarat chief minister, they unleashed all agencies against me. But I presented myself before a police officer despite being a chief minister because I respect the law,” Modi told a gathering of over 12,000 partymen.

In his speech, Modi presented himself as humble worker who has worked hard to deliver and now it was up to the people to judge him favourably. He devoted significant part of his speech to hit out at the Congress and the opposition unity. “It is a battle between those who believe in sultanate (dynasty) and those who believe in the constitution,” the prime minister said as he ridiculed the opposition unity.

He said was he a organisation man who was not easily given to adulation. Modi stressed the need of working at the booth levels to win the elections.

“I had said that if Sardar Patel was country's first prime minister, India would have been somewhere else. Similarly if Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the prime minister for a longer time, India would have been somewhere else,” Modi said as he hinted he needs another term to finish the work he had started.

Responding to Congress' jibes, Modi said this chowkidar is not going to stop nor leave anyone escape with the loot.

BJP chief Amit Shah, earlier during the day, said the results in the three states in the Hindi heartland, where the saffron party used to rule, were not encouraging. “We may have lost, but not defeated. We will bounce back there in three states,” he said to boost morale of his cadre.

PM Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah during the convention | Sanjay Ahlawat

In the political resolution passed at the meeting, the BJP hit at the opposition unity, calling it “a comical alliance known as Mahagathbandhan of desperate, contradictory and opportunistic political formations being be raised to take on the prime minister, the BJP and the NDA.”

“India of 2019 is not the India of 90s where the longevity of the Union government comprising these desperate and opportunistic elements ranged from four months to one year. The choice today is between stability and instability, effective governance or desperate mal-governance; a well-respected leader like Narendra Modi being opposed by an opportunistic alliance whose leader is unknown.”

“It simply means choice between a majboor government or a majboot government, where national security, powerful surge of nationalism and growth of India remains the prime focus. We are sure that people of India will repose their trust in the BJP and NDA under inspiring leadership of Narendra Modi,” the resolution said.