Not here to exploit farmers, we stand with them, says Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi invoked the legacy of Dr BR Ambedkar to launch a blistering attack on the Congress, accusing the grand old party of betraying the architect of the Constitution and stalling India’s industrial and social progress for decades.
Speaking on the 135th birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar at a programme in Yamunanagar on Monday, Modi drew a clear ideological line, asserting that it was his government—not the Congress—that was realising Ambedkar’s vision of social justice through industrial growth.
“Baba Saheb believed that industrialisation was essential to uplift the Dalits, who did not own agricultural land. He saw industries as engines of employment and empowerment,” he said.
“If they (Congress) had truly followed Baba Saheb’s path, why did India remain trapped in power shortages, poverty, and joblessness for decades? Why did our Dalit, backward, and marginalised youth never get access to industry-linked employment?” Modi asked.
Citing initiatives like Mission Manufacturing, PM Suryagarh Muft Bijli Yojana and reforms in MSME and credit policies, Modi said his administration was equipping the underprivileged with tools of economic freedom.
“More than 50 per cent of beneficiaries of Mudra Yojana are SCs, STs and OBCs. We are not here for slogans—we are delivering,” he declared.
Drawing from the local ethos, Modi paid tribute to Haryana’s cultural and spiritual heritage, calling it the “land of Saraswati, Ved Vyas, Kapal Mochan, Panchmukhi Hanuman and the site of Guru Gobind Singh’s weaponry”, and thanked the people of Yamunanagar for their contribution to the nation’s industrial sector.
“Yamunanagar is not just plywood, it is power, progress, and pride,” he said, laying the foundation stone of the third unit of Deenbandhu Chaudhary Chhotu Ram Thermal Power Plant, Yamunanagar, expected to boost electricity generation across Haryana.
He also laid the foundation stone of a compressed biogas plant here.
The PM also invoked Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram and Chaudhary Charan Singh—icons revered in Haryana politics—to underline how their vision of blending agriculture with small-scale industry was now being implemented under BJP rule.
“We are not here to exploit farmers; we stand with them,” Modi said, detailing schemes like PM Kisan Samman Nidhi and Fasal Bima Yojana, and praising the state’s decision to abolish the colonial-era water tax.
He said while BJP-ruled states like Haryana were racing on the track of development, states like Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana were caught in corruption, price hikes, and broken promises.
In a reference to Baisakhi and the 106th anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Modi honoured the sacrifice of freedom fighters and highlighted the role of Shri Shankaran Nair, the Malayali leader who legally challenged the British Empire over the massacre in Punjab.
“This is ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’ in action—a Malayali standing up for Punjabis. That is the soul of India,” he said.
Haryana Tribune