NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday in an apparent dig at the Congress party said that some people in Delhi try to teach him democracy, while referring to the pending panchayat and municipal polls in Puducherry.
The Prime Minister who was launching the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Jammu and Kashmir said that people who were in power for decades ignored the development of border regions. He also said that the "transparent" DDC elections in J&K and the people's participation in them are a moment of pride for India.
Modi took a dig at the Congress, saying that municipal and panchayat elections are not being conducted in Puducherry despite the Supreme Court's order. At present, Congress is in power in the Union territory.
"Some people in Delhi offer him lessons in democracy day in and day out, and use "abuses" for him, but they have not carried out panchayat polls in Puducherry despite a Supreme Court order," he said.The Prime Minister hailed the recently concluded elections in J&K. The District Development Council (DDC) polls in J&K have seen people winning due to their work and not names, the Prime Minister said. This was the first electoral exercise held in J&K since Article 370 was abrogated in August last year and the state was divided into two Union territories.
The Centre has undertaken all-round development of J&K, he added.
Earlier, PM Modi launched the Ayushman Bharat scheme via video-conferencing to extend health insurance coverage to all residents of J&K.
The Prime Minister's Office said the scheme will ensure universal health coverage and focus on providing financial risk protection and ensuring quality and affordable essential health services to all individuals and communities.
The scheme will provide free-of-cost insurance cover to all residents of the UT of J&K, the PMO said, adding that it will extend financial cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family on a floater basis to all residents of the UT.
There is provision for operational extension of the 'Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana' (PM-JAY) to approximately 15 lakh additional families, the PMO statement said, adding that the scheme will operate on insurance mode in convergence with PM-JAY.
(With inputs from agencies)