Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his one-day visit to the states of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra talked about investments and development, and inaugurated a slew of projects, including flagging off two Vande Bharat Express trains. His visit to Mumbai, second in less than a month, assumes significance in view of the upcoming high-octane Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.
PM Modi also inaugurated the Mumbai campus of Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah Arabic Academy, located in Marol, Mumbai. Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah is the principal educational institute of the Dawoodi Bohra Community, which is a politically influential community in South Mumbai.
After the flagging off ceremony at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in south Mumbai, PM Modi targetted the previous Congress government saying that the Union Budget of this year has strengthened the middle class and given them more relief than the Congress-led UPA regime. He said for the income on which the UPA government imposed as much as 20 per cent tax, this budget has zero tax. The Union Budget was presented in the Parliament by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1.
“Be it the salaried class or the middle-class earning from trade and commerce, this Budget has made them happy,” the PM said, adding, “This budget has strengthened the middle class,” he said.
Speaking of the Vande Bharat Express trains, PM Modi said, “For the first time two Vande Bharat trains are launched. They will connect financial centres like Mumbai and Pune to centres of our devotion. It will benefit college-goers, working professionals, farmers as well as devotees.”
“Vande Bharat train is a magnificent picture of today’s modern India. It’s a reflection of India’s speed and scale. You can see the speed with which the country is launching Vande Bharat. Ten trains have been launched,” PM Modi added.
PM Modi inaugurates Uttar Pradesh Global Investors Summit 2023
Before visiting Mumbai, PM Modi inaugurated the Uttar Pradesh Global Investors Summit 2023 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, along with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Speaking at the summit, PM Modi said the guarantee to world’s prosperity lies with India, as he pitched Uttar Pradesh as a major destination for foreign investment. He also said that India has become an “aspirational society”.
“Today, the aspirations of the society of India are giving a push to the governments. And, these aspirations are also bringing speed to developmental work. Today, India is carrying out reforms not out of compulsion, but out of conviction.”
UP no more ‘BIMARU’: PM Modi in Lucknow
Modi said Uttar Pradesh was once known as a “BIMARU” state, referring to an acronym for Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. ‘Bimaru’ in Hindi means sick.
But the state now inspires hope. “If India is a bright spot for the world, then it is UP, which is driving the growth of India,” he said. “Within five or six years, UP has established a new identity for itself,” he added.
“Now, UP is being identified by good governance, better law and order, peace and stability. Wealth creators will get new opportunities here,” Modi said.
Industrialists chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries Mukesh Ambani, Aditya Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla and Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran also addressed the event.