Sardar achieved India’s territorial integration, Ambedkar social and Modi economic: Amit Shah

Shah’s praise of the demonetisation move comes at a time when Opposition and a section of economists have criticised the government over the move after the RBI said over 99 per cent old notes were deposited in banks. (Source: PTI)

BJP CHIEF Amit Shah on Sunday equated what Prime Minister Narendra Modi did for the economic integration of India to what Sardar Patel did for territorial integration of the country and B R Ambedkar for social integration.

Showering praises on Modi on his 67th birthday, Shah wrote in his blog: “India remembers Sardar Patel for the territorial integration of our nation and we recall the role of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar in our social integration. Through initiatives starting from the Jan Dhan Yojana to the GST, Narendra Bhai has set the ball rolling for the economic integration of India.” Shah said Modi’s life in many ways “is a personification of the spirit of India”.

“When Narendra Bhai says he will live and die for the poor, these are not empty words. He has seen poverty closely and can understand what it means to be poor — he has lived and seen those struggles. He rose up the ranks through sheer hard-work, determination and blessings of the people. His rise from humble beginnings resonates with an aspirational nation, and inspires the youth to unlock the infinite possibilities of a New India.”

Under the Modi government, Shah said, honest taxpayers, the majority of whom belonged to the middle class, felt they were valued following crackdowns against black money and corruption through various measures, such as demonetisation and the benami law. “A corrupt system hurts the poor, neo middle class and the middle class the most. It also reduces people’s faith in the system. As soon he took office, the first thing Narendra Bhai did was to constitute an SIT on black money. Since then, there has been a historic crackdown against black money and corruption through various measures including Demonetisation and Benami law. Honest taxpayers, majority of whom belong to the middle class, finally feel appreciated and valued.”

Shah’s praise of the demonetisation move comes at a time when Opposition and a section of economists have criticised the government over the move after the RBI said over 99 per cent old notes were deposited in banks. Recalling his decades-long association with Modi, he said the Prime Minister had never celebrated his birthday. Shah said service or ‘sewa’ was the best way to celebrate the birthday of ‘pradhan sewak’ Modi. The Prime Minister’s heart, he said, “beats for the poor, downtrodden, marginalised and the farmers of India”.