NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday greeted the nation on the occasion of Independence Day.
“Independence Day greetings to all my fellow Indians..,” the prime minister said in a tweet.
Independence Day greetings to all my fellow Indians. स्वतंत्रता दिवस की हार्दिक शुभकामनायें। जय हिन्द! #India
Earlier, Modi paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi.
Modi unfurled the Tricolour at the Red Fort and began his second Independence Day speech as the Prime Minister.
The PM began his speech by paying tribute to freedom fighters.
“They struggled for India’s dignity. They spent their youth in jail, faced atrocities, but did not leave their determination. I bow down to these freedom fighters from the bottom of my heart,” Modi said in his second Independence Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort.
Modi said “All our schemes must serve the poor,” he said. “Nobody wants to remain poor. Those who are poor want to move away from poverty. That is why, all our programmes must be for the poor.”
He said Team India — a team of 125 crore Indians — will take the country to new heights, “This is Team India, a team of 125 crore Indians. This is the team that makes the nation and takes our nation to new heights,” he said in his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort here.
He said the participation of people had been possible via electronic platform such as MyGov.in or letters from citizens or through his radio address Mann Ki Baat.
Modi came down heavily on casteism and communalism, saying they hold no place in India.
“Be it casteism or communalism, there is no place for them. In no way can they be tolerated,” said the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister announced, “The doors of the banks were not open for the poor. We decided this must end. We wanted to strengthen financial inclusion.”
“Bank accounts are essential for integrating the poor into the financial system,” he said.
“Bank accounts are essential for integrating the poor into the financial system,” he said, adding that 17 crore people had opened accounts under the Jan Dhan Yojna scheme.
“After all who are the banks for, they are for the poor,” he added.