Marking his first public appearance since the declaration of the Lok Sabha 2024 election dates, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had started preparing to win the upcoming elections, too.
PM Modi also praised the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for its “stringent and unwavering” action against corruption. He took a dig at opposition parties, saying that they are worried about the probe agency’s remarkable actions.
During the session themed ‘Redefining Bharat’ of the India Today Conclave 2024, PM Modi discussed various key issues such as startups, the digital revolution, women’s empowerment, and the global initiative ‘One Earth One Health’.
HERE ARE THE KEY QUOTES FROM PM MODI’S SPEECH:
- Responding to remarks on preparations for 2029 general polls, PM Modi said, “You got stuck on 2029, I am preparing for 2047,” the Prime Minister said amid thunderous cheers from the audience.”
- PM Modi emphasised his dedication to hard work: “Whenever I go to a conclave like this, you expect me to give headlines, but I am a person who works on deadlines, and not headlines.”
- Prime Minister applauded the surge in startups in the country, noting their presence in over 600 districts: “Till 10 years ago, there were hardly 100 startups. Now there are 1.25 lakh startups registered. The startup movement in India is not just about numbers, but the fact that they are located in more than 600 districts, which accounts for 90 per cent of the country’s area.”
- PM Modi highlighted that since 2014, members of his Cabinet have visited the northeastern states a total of 680 times: “I, as the Prime Minister, have visited the northeastern states more than combined tours done by all other Prime Ministers of the country.”
- As part of efforts towards women empowerment, PM Modi shared that he distributed agricultural drones to girls in villages to challenge the social stigma against women driving tractors: “Even today, when daughters drive tractors in villages, it surprises people. I wanted to break this psyche. I wanted to show that daughters can operate drones too.”