Independence Day 2023 LIVE: PM Modi Slams Nepotism in I-Day Speech; 'Parivarvaad in BJP? How?' Sitharaman Asks Opposition

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said next year PM Modi will come back again. “There is no arrogance in that or overconfidence. Here is a PM who is the product of the society where he had valued his youth time experience.  He is a true people’s prime minister,” Puri said.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri spoke to CNN News18 and said there were some fantastic takeaways from PM Modi’s speech like making two crore women making “lakhpati”.

Today he is talking about economic empowerment . It is a very powerful message. Today, irrespective of caste and creed, these beneficiary programmes are reaching to needy,” Puri said.

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address from the iconic Red Fort in Delhi, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said he believes “it was PM Modi’s farewell speech.”

“I believe it was PM Modi’s farewell speech. Although, he tried to list out all the work that was done in the last 10 years, but there was nothing worth mentioning,” said AAP leader.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday praised Supreme Court’s decision to translate the key elements of its judgments into regional languages. The Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, who was among the dignitaries during PM’s speech, acknowledged Modi’s praise with folded hands. Read More

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju spoke to News18 and highlighted PM Modi’s mention of three evils “corruption, nepotism and appeasement”.

Rijiju, speaking to News18’s Zakka Jacob, said address by PM Modi is supposed to be seen as report of nine years of the Modi government.

Congress party ruined this nation by intense corruption, Rijiju said, adding that PM Modi got rid of corruption.

“Kharge may be president of Congress, Adhir might be Lok Sabha leader but they are answerable to one family,” Rijiju said hinting towards Congress. We have to fight dynastic politics, he added.

Punjab, Haryana and their joint capital Chandigarh on Tuesday celebrated the 77th Independence Day, amid tight security arrangements.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann hoisted the national flag at a state-level function in Patiala while his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar unfurled the tricolour in Fatehabad.

Mann inspected the parade in Patiala and took a salute from the march past led by parade commander Assistant Commissioner of Police Jasroop Kaur Baath. In his address, Mann said his government’s top priorities are health, education, employment and the agriculture sector.

The chief minister said 76 new ‘Aam Aadmi Clinics’ were inaugurated on Monday to commemorate 76 years of India’s freedom. With this, the total number of these clinics in the state has reached 659.

On Congress president-LoP Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge not attending the Independence Day event at Red Fort, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said “they are yearning just like a fish without water”.

“…If the leader of the main Opposition party and LoP Rajya Sabha doesn’t come, you can imagine the Congress mindset…Today when they are sitting in the Opposition, they are yearning just like a fish without water,” Thakur said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the government will launch ‘Vishwakarma Yojana’ next month with an allocation of Rs 13,000 crore to Rs 15,000 crore for those with traditional skills. In his address to the nation on the 77th Independence Day, Modi said the scheme is especially for skilled workers like barbers, goldsmiths, washermen etc.

Akshay Kumar has been granted Indian citizenship. The actor had earlier said that he had applied for an Indian passport in 2019, but Covid delayed the process. On the occasion of Independence Day, Akshay took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share the exciting news with his fans.

Sharing the photo of the document, Akshay wrote, “Dil aur citizenship, dono Hindustani. Happy Independence Day! Jai Hind!”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the policies of the government are providing support to the youth of the country and their strength has helped India become the third largest startup ecosystem in the world. Addressing the nation on the 77th Independence Day, he said the country’s exports are growing and experts world over believe India’s economy would continue its growth trajectory.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced that the government will soon launch a scheme to provide agri-drones to thousands of women-led self-help groups and will train them to fly as well as repair the unmanned aerial vehicles. To begin with, the scheme will be launched among 15,000 women self-help groups (SHGs). About 10 crore women are associated with SHGs in the country.

Amid Opposition’s claim that BJP also is a party of “parivarvaad” (nepotism), Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman asked if anyone in family hold the saffron party.

“Does anyone in family hold BJP…BJP is not at all parivaarvad,” Nirmala Sitharaman said adding that same family holds control for generations in other parties.

Both the Prime Minister himself and the Home Minister provided reassurance on the floor of the house that their intention was to maintain peace and harmony in Manipur. However, the opposition chose not to engage in this discussion and walked out during the Prime Minister’s speech. It appeared that the opposition’s concern for Manipur was insincere, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman noting that they did not address the issue in the house.

During an interaction with CNN-News18, the Finance Minister said: “The Opposition shed crocodile tears when Manipur was spoken off in the Parliament and that they were not ready to talk on the issue.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with youngsters at the Red Fort in Delhi where he delivered his Independence Day address from.

Taking to microblogging site ‘X’, PM Modi wrote, “Had heartwarming interaction with youngsters at the Red Fort. Their boundless enthusiasm is a reminder of the bright future that awaits India.”

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda hoisted the national flag at party’s headquarter in Delhi on Tuesday on the occasion of 77th Independence Day

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hoisted the national flag on 77th Independence Day in Kolkata.

The Indian Tricolour was hoisted onboard Indian Naval Warships, INS Sahyadri and INS Kolkata in Sydney, Australia, to commemorate the 77th Independence Day of India.

The ships are in Australia to participate in Exercise-Malabar 2023

Indian Coast Guard personnel with national flag underwater near Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu on 77th Independence Day.

WATCH:

When asked about Congress chief and Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge missing from Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort, Congress leader Meira Kumar says, “Kharge Sahab came here (AICC HQ) and addressed us. He encouraged us and the people of the country. He spoke about how did Congress and big leaders attain freedom for the country and build the country.”

On PM’s attack on dynasty politics, she says, “Elections are held here, those who win stay in politics. What is Dynasty here?…”

Talking about the things done by Congress when it was in power, party chief Mallikarjun Kharge said, “AIIMS, IIT, space research foundation was laid. Art and culture was encouraged by Nehru ji. Indira Gandhi ji, Lal Bahadur Shastri brought green revolution and white revolution”.

“I am pained to say that democracy, institutions have big question over them. Parliamentarians voices are being muzzled by moving privilege motion against them. When I get to speak in Parliament my mic is switched off,” Kharge said.

“We swear to bring unity and justice in the country. Judega Bharat jitega India,” Kharge added.