New India, Developed Nation, Aspiration of People of India

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday coined a new expression for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) —New India, Developed Nation, Aspiration of People of India. This came hours after the Opposition alliance named itself I.N.D.I.A — Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance.

Addressing the NDA leaders’ meeting in Delhi, PM Modi remembered the contribution of former NDA leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L.K. Advani, Balasaheb Thackeray and Parkash Singh Badal and said that for the coalition, it is nation first, security of the nation first, progress first and empowerment of people first.

NDA is a beautiful rainbow of regional aspirations… So a nation’s development through the development of States… At a time when we are working for a developed India, the NDA is taking the lead in showing the spirit of ‘sabka prayas,’ he added.

PM Modi slams Congress

Modi said that the NDA always did positive politics even when they were in the Opposition during the Congress-led UPA’s rule.

“We always did positive politics, even when we were in the Opposition. We never disrespected the mandate. We have never sought foreign help to oppose Governments. We remained in the Opposition, but did not block or become an obstacle in the development of the country,” he said.

In a dig at the alliance of 26 Opposition parties, the Prime Minister said that when an alliance is formed with the intention of corruption, it does a lot of harm to the country.

“When the alliance is due to the compulsion of power, when the alliance is with the intention of corruption, when the alliance is based on the policy of familyism, when the alliance is done keeping casteism and regionalism in mind, then that alliance does a lot of harm to the country,” he said.

“In the 1990s, the Congress in order to bring instability in the country used alliances. They formed Governments and pulled down Governments. The NDA was formed in this period in 1998… It was not formed against anybody or to remove anyone from power, but it was formed to bring stability to the country,” the PM said.