LIVE BJP: Amit Shah hits out at Rahul Gandhi, Gadkari praises Modi’s diplomatic skills

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the national executive meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is being attended by over 2,000 delegates at the Talkatora Stadium. Party president Amit Shah delivered the inaugural speech.

The two-day National Executive meeting was inaugurated by Shah on Sunday, who also held a meeting with office-bearers, state chiefs and organisational leaders to finalise agenda items, including resolutions, which the national executive is expected to discuss today, the birth anniversary of Hindutva icon Deen Dayal Upadhyaya.

Here are the latest updates and developments from the BJP national executive meeting at the Talkatora Stadium:

■ Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana ‘Saubhagya’ to provide power to all families in India by December 2018. A pre-paid model will be adopted for providing electricity to all households as per plan, says power minister R K Singh.

■ Separately, PM Narendra Modi has constituted an economic advisory council to revive economic growth. The panel will be headed by Bibek Debroy.

■ My battle against corruption is uncompromising and no one will be spared; I have no relatives: Narendra Modi. (PTI)

■ UPA didn’t take a single step against black money and corruption; obvious their leaders will be uneasy over our measures against it: Jaitley. (PTI)

■ BJP leader Arun Jaitley says power was means of enjoyment for the opposition when it was in government. (PTI)

■ Union finance minister Arun Jaitley is addressing a press conference sharing details of PM Narendra Modi’s address to the BJP national executive meet today:

— We must take BJP beyond elections and make it an instrument of mass participation.

— BJP is the most important political party in the country.

— No other political party in the country is as active as the BJP.

— People look to BJP for change today.

— BJP to organize ‘Run For Unity’ on Sardar Patel’s birthday on 31 October.

— 13 CMs, 6 Deputy CMs, 232 state min, 1500 MLA, 334 MPs were present in BJP national executive meeting.

— Today at 6:30 pm, PM Modi will make an announcement of a important scheme for the poor: Arun Jaitley (ANI)

— PM Narendra Modi assures that the fight against terrorism as well as corruption will continue.

— Harsh language cannot be substitute for any substantive charge against the Govt; savings under Aadhaar can be utilised.

■ Prime Minister Narendra Modi will soon address BJP workers at the national executive meeting, Firstpost reports.

Meanwhile, PMO tweet says “PM @narendramodi will launch the Saubhagya Yojana this evening.” PM Modi’s personal twitter handle adds, “...inaugurate Deendayal Urja Bhawan.”

■ Union minister Nitin Gadkari addressing a press conference:

— PM Modi and BJP president Amit Shah have talked to UP CM Adityanath over BHU incident: Nitin Gadkari, ANI reports.

— Not even a single allegation of corruption has been made against the Modi government in its three years of functioning due to transparency.

— PM Modi showed immense maturity and diplomatic skills in resolving the Doklam dispute.

— Relations with neighbouring countries are improving continuously.

— Economy has improved under the Narendra Modi government.

— PM Modi has successfully highlighted the issue of terrorism in front of the international community and exposed Pakistan.

■ BJP chief Amit Shah today criticised Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on dynastic politics and said the BJP believes in the politics of performance while the Congress banks on the “politics of appeasement and dynasty”. Read more

■ Amit Shah to launch 15-day padyatra in Kerala from 3 October to protest political violence against its workers, says Piyush Goyal. (PTI)

■ Amit Shah says BJP believes in politics of performance, Congress in dynasty and politics of appeasement. (PTI)

■ BJP chief Amit Shah hits out at Rahul for defending dynastic politics, says President, Vice-President, Prime Minister reached their position due to performance. (PTI)

■ Union minister Piyush Goyal briefs on addressing the press on BJP’s national executive meeting:

— Our Prime Minister will be launching a new scheme in the evening at 6pm, that will provide electricity to the poor: Piyush Goyal. (News18)

— BJP will register a historic win in upcoming Gujarat polls. (ANI)

— The Govt is relentlessly working in the interests of the poor. (ANI )

— Amit Shah ji said that from October 3-17 BJP workers will do a ‘padyatra’ in Kerala and connect with the people. (ANI )

— Rahul Gandhi ji has been undermining India these days, Amit Shah ji gave a befitting reply with facts. (ANI)

— BJP president Amit Shah has urged all party workers to connect with the people to realize the dream of New India. (Source: @BJP4India)

India churning vs India shining

— Amit Shah has appealed everyone to stand by PM Narendra Modi’s Clean India campaign. (Source: @BJP4India)

■ BJP national executive meeting underway at Talkatora Stadium.

The ongoing meet is being called an “extended” meeting as the saffron party wraps up its year-long celebrations to mark the birth anniversary of its founder Deendayal Upadhyaya, NDTV reports.

■ Modi, who will deliver the valedictory address today evening, may use the opportunity to highlight his government’s pro-poor measures and other policy decisions. With the opposition parties attacking the government’s handling of the economy by citing the fall in GDP rate and demonetisation figures, Modi is expected to take them on and highlight his dispensation’s “successes” in boosting transparency and curbing black money, party sources said.

■ A key highlight of the meeting will be the presence of the party’s elected lawmakers—close to 1,400 MLAs, 337 MPs and all MLCs, besides its core group leaders from states among others today.

■ During the office bearers’ meeting yesterday, Shah reviewed the performance of the party’s expansion drive in the last one year. More than four lakh party workers covered the 4,100 state assembly seats to strengthen the party and shared the development measures initiated by the government, party general secretary Bhupender Yadav said.

■ It was also decided to take forward prime minister Modi’s ‘Swachh Bharat’ mission and the resolve to establish a ‘New India’ and make them a success, he said.

■ General Secretary Vinay Sahasrabuddhe also shared the details of Shah’s country-wide tour during the meeting and said the party chief travelled 50,000 km and interacted with 18,000 workers across the country to strengthen the BJP.

■ To mark the birth centenary celebrations of Upadhyaya, BJP has also dedicated the year to the ‘welfare of the poor’ and the government has taken various initiatives on this front while curbing corruption, Yadav said.

■ The BJP sources said the party’s resolution is likely to assert that the economy has been doing better under the NDA than it did under the previous UPA government. The roll-out of the GST has been described by the party as a major success of the government which, it has asserted, will integrate the country’s economy. The prime minister’s agenda of development is also expected be a key feature.

■ A senior party leader said the issue of Rohingya immigrants, whom the government has termed a threat to security, may also find a mention. With the government and the party embracing Upadhyaya’s plank of ‘antyodaya’ (upliftment of the last man), the executive is expected to cite a number of measures taken by the Union and the BJP-ruled states for the poor’s welfare.

— Agencies contributed to the live updates