India’s Growth Not About One Family, PM Modi Says on Vajpayee Birth Anniversary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday made an indirect political attack on the Gandhi family, asserting that India’s development journey is not centred around a single family but shaped by the contributions of multiple national leaders. His remarks came while paying tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his birth anniversary in Lucknow.

Addressing a public event, Modi said the Bharatiya Janata Party had moved beyond selective recognition by inaugurating statues of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Deendayal Upadhyaya, and Vajpayee, signalling a broader acknowledgment of India’s leadership legacy. He remarked that earlier governments had confined national achievements to one political lineage.

Drawing a contrast with the Congress era, the Prime Minister alleged that senior BJP leaders were ignored or disrespected in the past. He said his party believed in honouring leaders across political lines, citing respect shown to former President Pranab Mukherjee and former Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao. Modi also stressed giving due recognition to B. R. Ambedkar and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Marking December 25 as a significant date, Modi noted the shared birth anniversaries of Vajpayee and educationist and freedom fighter Madan Mohan Malaviya. He said both leaders played a pivotal role in preserving India’s identity, unity, and national pride, leaving a lasting impact on the country’s development.

On Vajpayee’s 101st birth anniversary, the Prime Minister inaugurated the Rashtriya Prerna Sthal in Lucknow. The memorial complex features 65-foot-high bronze statues of Vajpayee, Mookerjee, and Upadhyaya, along with a lotus-shaped, state-of-the-art museum spread across nearly 98,000 square feet. The museum uses immersive digital technology to chronicle India’s national journey and the contributions of these leaders.

The event was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and other senior leaders.