NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday studiously ignored the Nehru-Gandhi family legacy even as he invoked “sons of India” like Jayprakash Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia and Lal Bahadur Shastri in his much-awaited New Year’s address to the nation.
“Citizens displayed such patience, had Lal Bahadur Shastri, Jayprakash Narayan and Ram Manohar Lohia been alive, they would have blessed them,” the Prime Minister said.
Speaking in English later, he also invoked Congress leader K Kamraj, who was Congress president between 1964-1967. Modi also invoked Mahatma Gandhi, as well as Jan Sangh leader Deen Dayal Upadhyay.
In a speech aired on TV channels at 7.30 pm on Saturday, Modi thanked the people for supporting the NDA government’s attempt to “purify” the Indian economy through demonetisation.
“Social evils had become a part of our life. But the events that occurred after November 8 forced us to reflect on that,” he said, adding that it was inspiring how ordinary Indians had come forward to fight the evil within.
However, the Prime Minister said the government’s efforts in the new year would be to bring about normalcy within the banking system at the earliest.
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