Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday fired a veiled dig at the opposition over the COVID-19 pandemic and West Asia crisis, saying some people “took pleasure” in frightening the country and spreading fake news.
On the occasion of the 80th Independence Day, the Prime Minister hoisted the tricolour at the Red Fort in New Delhi. The hoisting of the National Flag was synchronised with the 21-Gun Salute by the gunners of the 1721 Field Battery (Ceremonial).
“The global pandemic had put the entire world in a state of concern. All systems had been disrupted. We came out of COVID, and then news of the devastation caused by wars began to emerge—somewhere in Ukraine, somewhere in West Asia. There was an atmosphere of tension everywhere”, PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister said “some people” resorted to spreading fake news and creating panic among public during the crises.
“And who knows what all predictions were made by the so-called forecasters. Some people seemed to take pleasure in frightening the country, keeping the country fearful and anxious. ‘There will be no vaccines, people will not survive COVID, nothing will happen.’ When the West Asia crisis came, they said, ‘There will be no petrol at petrol pumps, no gas, no diesel, no fertilizer'”, he said.
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“By spreading all kinds of rumours, some people seemed to take pleasure in frightening the people of India and keeping them immersed in fear and anxiety”, PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister shed light on how India successfully tackled such difficult circumstances with “well-thought” plans.
“But the country has seen that the well-thought-out plans of the past 10–12 years are bearing fruit. Despite such major crises, India, living by the mantra of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava,’ took one step after another based on the preparations it had made”.
‘I Have Faith In Gen-Z’
PM Modi’s Independence Day speech had a special shoutout to the Gen Z. Expressing faith in the younger generation of the country, the Prime Minister said: “I have faith in the youth of my country, the mothers and sisters of my country, the farmers of my country, and the workers of my country that we can make this dream a reality”.
Notably, the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort were centred on the theme of ‘Yuva Shakti’ and the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
