Washington DC:

Days after Tesla started hiring staff in India, signalling its potential entry into the market, US President Donald Trump has said that any potential plans of the EV maker to build a factory in India, to circumvent that country’s tariffs, would be ‘very unfair’.  The US President made the remarks during a joint interview with Tesla CEO Elon Musk for Fox News’ Sean Hannity.

President Trump recalled that he called out India’s high duty on cars during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States last week, but agreed to work towards an early trade deal and resolve their standoff over tariffs.

During his US visit, PM Modi also met Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has long criticised India for having import tariffs of around 100 per cent on EVs which protect local automakers such as Tata Motors in the world’s third largest auto market, where EV adoption is still at a nascent stage.

Mr Trump said it is “impossible” for Elon Musk to sell a car in India. “Every country in the world takes advantage of us, and they do it with tariffs… It is impossible to sell a car, practically, in, as an example, India,” he said.

However, the Indian government in March unveiled its new EV policy, lowering import taxes substantially to 15 per cent if a carmaker invests at least $500 million and sets up a factory.

President Trump said it would be “unfair” to America if Elon Musk did decide to build a factory there. “Now, if he built the factory in India, that’s okay, but that’s unfair to us. It’s very unfair,” Trump said in the interview.

India’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump’s Reciprocal Tariff Threat

Donald Trump’s plans for reciprocal tariffs on every country that taxes US imports have raised the risk of a global trade war with American friends and foes. Under his proposed reciprocal tariff system, the US would impose the same level of tariffs on imports from other countries as those nations levies on American goods.

“If I said 25 per cent, they’d say, ‘Oh, that’s terrible.’ I don’t say that anymore… because I say, ‘Whatever they charge, we’ll charge.’ And you know what? They stop,” Mr Trump told Fox News on Tuesday while talking about his tariff plans.

Tesla’s India Entry

Elon Musk’s Tesla is expected to enter the Indian market as early as April this year, according to sources. The EV maker has reportedly selected locations for two showrooms in the Indian cities of New Delhi and Mumbai and posted job ads for 13 mid-level roles in India. 

However, Tesla does not currently manufacture any vehicles in India.

Tesla has long been rumoured to foray into India’s electric vehicle (EV) market but has faced several hurdles related to localised factory investments, regulations, and high taxes. It has previously lobbied for policy incentives as well as lower import duties.

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched BJP leader Ravinder Singh Negi’s feet three times after the latter made a similar gesture during a public rally in Delhi this week.

The heartfelt moment came at a poll rally in North-East Delhi on Wednesday, days ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in the national capital.

A video that has gone viral shows Mr Negi, the BJP’s Patparganj candidate, approaching PM Modi and attempting to touch his feet. PM Modi, however, immediately stops him and reciprocates by touching his feet thrice.

#ElectionsWithNDTV | PM Modi touches BJP leader Ravinder Negi’s feet 3 times. He is also contesting the upcoming #DelhiElections from Patparganj pic.twitter.com/sxGXYn1Hka

— NDTV (@ndtv) January 30, 2025

After Mr Negi, BJP’s Vishwas Nagar candidate, Om Prakash Sharma, also bowed to touch PM Modi’s feet but was stopped midway.

This was not the first time that the Prime Minister has reciprocated and touched the feet of those who touched his at public events.

Ravinder Singh Negi up against Avadh Ojha

Ravinder Singh Negi is up against civil aspirant coach Avadh Ojha, who is contesting on an AAP ticket from the Patparganj seat, and Congress candidate Anil Chaudhary.

The seat was earlier won thrice by AAP leader and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who is contesting from Jangpura in the 2025 Delhi assembly elections.

Mr Negi is currently the BJP councillor from the Vinod Nagar (East) constituency.

PM Modi attacks AAP, Congress

During the rally, Prime Minister Modi attacked the AAP and the Congress.

Thanking the massive gathering, he said, “This sight reflects the mood of Delhi and the message of its mandate. Delhi is changing. Fake promises will no longer work. The loot and lies will not continue. The people of Delhi want a double-engine BJP government that ensures both the welfare of the poor and the development of the city.”

He promised to bring relief to Delhi’s residents by addressing key issues.

“Delhi wants a government that builds homes for the poor, modernises the city, ensures water supply to every household, and frees them from tanker mafias. That is why the entire Delhi is today saying, ‘AAPda jaayegi, BJP aayegi’ (AAPda will go, BJP will come),” he said in a dig at former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP.

Delhi will go to assembly polls on February 5 and the results will be announced on February 8.

New Delhi:

Delhi had decked up for the G20 summit, world leaders had flown in and the Centre’s bureaucratic machinery was working overtime to ensure a perfect show. But the summit’s success depended on one question: will there be consensus in the Leaders’ Declaration? And it is this question that Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked Sherpa Amitabh Kant an hour before the summit began.

Mr Kant has narrated this key exchange with the Prime Minister on the morning of September 9, 2023 in his book, “How India Scaled Mt G20: The Inside Story of the G20 Presidency” (Rupa Publications). The Prime Minister had reached Bharat Mandapam to review the preparations.

“I was to brief him on our progress so far. When he enquired about the Leaders’ Declaration, I outlined the conflict between the US and China and informed him that the NDLD (New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration) was still not finalised,” Mr Kant writes in his book, news agency PTI has reported.

“He paused for a moment, wondering as to why bilateral issues were being raised in a multilateral meeting, before replying that he did not want to get into the procedures or the process, but wanted to see the result – a consensus – very soon. He expected the Sherpa to navigate and secure the final agreement,” he adds.

The book details the gruelling work that made summit a success. 

Prime Minister had announced a consensus on the 37-page declaration and its subsequent adoption at the start of the second session on the opening day of the summit.

Mr Kant has detailed in his book how New Delhi managed to navigate geopolitical currents and bilateral issues to reach this consensus.

“The text continued to face constant revisions and objections after 300 hours of negotiations over 250 bilateral meetings. The weight and seriousness of the negotiations were felt by all participants, but the pursuit of a mutually agreeable outcome still seemed far from reach,” he writes in the book.

The Prime Minister, he writes, was “acutely aware” of the stakes involved and had asked for regular briefings. “He had asked me to send him urgent situation reports every two hours, a task that demanded immense multitasking and quick analysis. This constant communication kept PM Modi informed, but also spurred us into action, helping us map out the negotiations and take stock of our progress,” he adds.

Mr Kant writes that Russia had insisted that the word ‘sanction’ be included in the declaration. Extensive discussions were held with Alexander Pankin, Russia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, to persuade them to reconsider this.

“The stakes were high, as refusal to compromise would have left Russia isolated with a 19-1 vote against it. We finally had to tell Russia that this was not feasible and would not be accepted by other countries. We made it abundantly clear to Russia that its insistence on this matter put significant pressure on India and made it impossible for us to move forward,” Mr Kant writes.

The G20 Sherpa has said that throughout the negotiations, G7 countries — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US — pressured India to invite Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but India’s stance was to restrict the guest list to G20 leaders.

“On Dr Jaishankar’s advice, I had to inform the Russian negotiator that if they didn’t agree, the first speaker following PM Modi’s speech would be Zelenskyy. This bold and assertive negotiation tactic ultimately worked, and Russia relented,” Mr Kant writes.

There was another hurdle. Mr Kant writes that the head of the Chinese team pointed out a bilateral challenge with the US, stemming from a part of the declaration that stated that the 2026 G20 Summit would be hosted in the US.

The Chinese Sherpa, Mr Kant writes, explained that the US would not grant them visas, not even for their governor in Hong Kong. They would not agree to the geopolitical paras until they received a written guarantee that they would be issued visas, he says.

The leaders’ meeting started at 9 am and Mr Kant held parallel negotiations from 9.30 am to 11.30 am in a room adjacent to the Leaders’ Hall.

“I, along with (US Sherpa Mike) Pyle and Li (Kexin, head of the Chinese team), hammered out the details of the letter. We opted to use the term ‘ensure’ instead of ‘guarantee’. By noon, we had successfully resolved this bilateral matter, even though technically it was beyond the scope of India’s role as G20 Chair. All the countries, he says, were finally on board.

Mr Kant writes that sealing a consensus on the first day of the summit was “no small feat” and cites the example of the 2022 Bali submit, where negotiations on the declaration text dragged into the final hours.

New Delhi:

Delhi had decked up for the G20 summit, world leaders had flown in and the Centre’s bureaucratic machinery was working overtime to ensure a perfect show. But the summit’s success depended on one question: will there be consensus in the Leaders’ Declaration? And it is this question that Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked Sherpa Amitabh Kant an hour before the summit began.

Mr Kant has narrated this key exchange with the Prime Minister on the morning of September 9, 2023 in his book, “How India Scaled Mt G20: The Inside Story of the G20 Presidency” (Rupa Publications). The Prime Minister had reached Bharat Mandapam to review the preparations.

“I was to brief him on our progress so far. When he enquired about the Leaders’ Declaration, I outlined the conflict between the US and China and informed him that the NDLD (New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration) was still not finalised,” Mr Kant writes in his book, news agency PTI has reported.

“He paused for a moment, wondering as to why bilateral issues were being raised in a multilateral meeting, before replying that he did not want to get into the procedures or the process, but wanted to see the result – a consensus – very soon. He expected the Sherpa to navigate and secure the final agreement,” he adds.

The book details the gruelling work that made summit a success. 

Prime Minister had announced a consensus on the 37-page declaration and its subsequent adoption at the start of the second session on the opening day of the summit.

Mr Kant has detailed in his book how New Delhi managed to navigate geopolitical currents and bilateral issues to reach this consensus.

“The text continued to face constant revisions and objections after 300 hours of negotiations over 250 bilateral meetings. The weight and seriousness of the negotiations were felt by all participants, but the pursuit of a mutually agreeable outcome still seemed far from reach,” he writes in the book.

The Prime Minister, he writes, was “acutely aware” of the stakes involved and had asked for regular briefings. “He had asked me to send him urgent situation reports every two hours, a task that demanded immense multitasking and quick analysis. This constant communication kept PM Modi informed, but also spurred us into action, helping us map out the negotiations and take stock of our progress,” he adds.

Mr Kant writes that Russia had insisted that the word ‘sanction’ be included in the declaration. Extensive discussions were held with Alexander Pankin, Russia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, to persuade them to reconsider this.

“The stakes were high, as refusal to compromise would have left Russia isolated with a 19-1 vote against it. We finally had to tell Russia that this was not feasible and would not be accepted by other countries. We made it abundantly clear to Russia that its insistence on this matter put significant pressure on India and made it impossible for us to move forward,” Mr Kant writes.

The G20 Sherpa has said that throughout the negotiations, G7 countries — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US — pressured India to invite Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but India’s stance was to restrict the guest list to G20 leaders.

“On Dr Jaishankar’s advice, I had to inform the Russian negotiator that if they didn’t agree, the first speaker following PM Modi’s speech would be Zelenskyy. This bold and assertive negotiation tactic ultimately worked, and Russia relented,” Mr Kant writes.

There was another hurdle. Mr Kant writes that the head of the Chinese team pointed out a bilateral challenge with the US, stemming from a part of the declaration that stated that the 2026 G20 Summit would be hosted in the US.

The Chinese Sherpa, Mr Kant writes, explained that the US would not grant them visas, not even for their governor in Hong Kong. They would not agree to the geopolitical paras until they received a written guarantee that they would be issued visas, he says.

The leaders’ meeting started at 9 am and Mr Kant held parallel negotiations from 9.30 am to 11.30 am in a room adjacent to the Leaders’ Hall.

“I, along with (US Sherpa Mike) Pyle and Li (Kexin, head of the Chinese team), hammered out the details of the letter. We opted to use the term ‘ensure’ instead of ‘guarantee’. By noon, we had successfully resolved this bilateral matter, even though technically it was beyond the scope of India’s role as G20 Chair. All the countries, he says, were finally on board.

Mr Kant writes that sealing a consensus on the first day of the summit was “no small feat” and cites the example of the 2022 Bali submit, where negotiations on the declaration text dragged into the final hours.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that people misunderstand the meaning of, “minimum government, maximum governance”. He said that the efforts must be to increase the speed of work done by government departments and thus, he had made different ministries for skill, cooperatives, and fisheries.

Speaking in a podcast with Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath, which was released on Friday, PM Modi said that the government took away 40,000 compliances to increase the speed of work in different departments.

“We often misunderstand the concept of minimum government, maximum governance. Some believe that minimum government means fewer ministers and fewer employees. However, this is not my understanding. I made different ministries for skill, cooperatives, and fisheries. When I say minimum government…my point is that we took away 40,000 compliances to increase the speed of work. Otherwise, the different departments will demand the same things. If one department has it, use it for all,” PM Modi said.

An enjoyable conversation with @nikhilkamathcio, covering various subjects. Do watch… https://t.co/5Q2RltbnRW

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 10, 2025

“I have abolished 1,500 old laws. I have changed laws that criminalised certain things. This is my vision of minimum government and maximum governance. I am witnessing it all happen,” he added.

Speaking on India’s technological standing across the world, PM Modi said that India has managed to democratise technology and taught the world how it is done.

“In just thirty seconds, I can transfer money into the accounts of 100 million farmers. I can do the same for cylinder subsidy for 13 crore people in 30 seconds…India has taught the world how to democratise technology. All you need is a mobile. This is a tech-driven century. We have made an innovation commission and innovation fund,” PM Modi said.

Speaking on how India’s perception has changed around the world, PM Modi recalled saying that the day would come when the world would stand in line for an Indian Visa.

“As the head of the state, America had refused me a visa. I held a press conference that day where I had said, “One day the world would stand in line for an Indian visa”. I gave this statement in 2005. Now, it is 2025. I can see that this is now is the time for India… I used to say publicly that you (NRIs) will regret if you don’t come back to India, the world is changing,” PM Modi said.

“I recently visited Kuwait. I went to a labour colony…one labourer asked me when will there be an international airport in my district (in India) …it is this aspiration that will make India Vikist in 2047,” he added.

Emphasising his stand on the issue of war and the recent conflicts around the world, PM Modi said that his stand is not being “neutral” but he was in favour of peace. He said that the advice he has given to countries that are in conflict currently has enhanced the country’s credibility.

“During the Ukraine crisis, we were not neutral. We are in favour of peace. I said that to Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Palestine and Israel. They trust us. This is the reason that India’s credibility has increased…the world has faith in what we say. During corona, our young people were at the centre of the pandemic. I request the Air Force to help with the evacuation. All of them agreed and brought our youth and even our neighbours. If my fellow countryman is in trouble–who will take care of him…if you help out your countrymen anywhere in the world, it also inspires them to do something good,” PM Modi said.

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he is willing to discard old ideas and embrace new ones as long as they fit into his essential ideology of “nation first”.

Appearing for the first time in a podcast, which was hosted by Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath and released on Friday, PM Modi said he sees his success in how he prepares a team who can deftly handle things, as he asserted that there are many young politicians with potential. He declined to name any, saying it will be injustice to many others.

PM Modi said it has been his life’s mantra that he may make mistakes but will not do anything wrong out of bad intentions.

He said, “When I became (Gujarat) chief minister I said I will not spare any effort to work hard. I will not do anything for myself. And, thirdly, I am human and I can make mistakes. But I will not do anything wrong out of bad intentions. I have made it a mantra of my life. Mistakes are inevitable. I must have made mistakes. I am a human too, not a god.”

ALSO READ | PM Modi Reacts To Memes Featuring Italy’s PM Giorgia Meloni

When Mr Kamath asked him if he has planned for the time beyond him, training those he has faith in, not for today but after 20-30 years, PM Modi said, “I can see people with a lot of potential. When I was in Gujarat, I would say that I want to go after preparing (team) for the next 20 years. I am doing it. My success lies in how I prepare my team who will be able to deftly handle things. This is my benchmark for me.”

He said politics needs continuous entry of good people who put mission over ambition, and summarised his ideology as “nation first”.

Asked if he sees such potential in any young politician, PM Modi said they are many of them.

“They toil, they work with a mission. If I say a name it will be injustice to many others. There are a lot of names and faces in front of me. I know details of a lot of people but it is my responsibility to not do injustice to others,” he added.

In the over two-hour podcast, he summarised his ideology as “nation first”.

PM Modi said, “If I have to leave old ideas behind, I am ready to discard them. I am ready to accept new things. but the benchmark should be ‘nation first’. I have only one scale and I don’t change it.”

An enjoyable conversation with @nikhilkamathcio, covering various subjects. Do watch… https://t.co/5Q2RltbnRW

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 10, 2025

Noting that one-third of seats for MLAs and Lok Sabha members will be reserved for women in the near future, he said women are already present in local bodies due to 50 per cent reservation for them in many states and asked them to work to become as capable as they can be to prepare themselves for assemblies and Parliament.

The prime minister described himself as not a typical politician, and his time is mostly spent on governance.

“I have to make political speeches during elections. It is my compulsion. I don’t like it but I have to do it. All my time is spent on governance outside elections. And when I was not in power, my time was entirely focussed on organisation. On development of human resources…,” he said.

Asserting that he has never confined himself to a comfort zone, PM Modi said his risk-taking ability has hardly been utilised.

“My risk-taking ability is several times more,” he said, adding that it was because he never bothered about himself.

In his third term, PM Modi said he felt more emboldened and his dreams have widened. In the first two terms, he used to judge his work by the progress it has made since he began.

“Now my thoughts are in the context of Viksit Bharat by 2047,” he added.

PM Modi said his thrust on “minimum government maximum government” was misinterpreted by some people who thought it meant fewer ministers or government employees. It was never his concept, he said, noting he created separate ministries such as for skill development and fisheries.

ALSO READ | “If There’s Failure…”: What PM Told Scientists After Chandrayaan-2 Setback

It was about cutting down on lengthy official processes, he said, citing the ending of over 40,000 compliances and the repeal of over 1,500 laws as steps in that direction.

In the podcast which touched on different phases of his life, PM Modi described himself as an ordinary student in school who studied merely to pass the exam but participated in different activities and was always curious.

“My struggles have been the university which has taught me,” he said, noting that his father did not allow him to apply for admission in a sainik school due to lack of money. He, however, was never disappointed, he added.

Recognised for his oratory, PM Modi stressed that communication is more important than oratorial skills and cited the example of Mahatma Gandhi saying that he lived such a life that did the “talking” for him and rallied the nation behind him during the freedom movement.

A thinly built man who was not much of an orator, Mahatma Gandhi did not conform to the profile of a typical politician expected in the current era, he said.

Politics, he said, is not about only contesting elections, and that political life is not easy at all. “Some people are lucky. They don’t have to do anything but they keep getting benefits. I don’t want to get into reasons,” he said in a veiled reference to dynastic politicians.

To a question about the moment that gave him maximum happiness, PM Modi recalled the emotions he felt when he first called up his mother after BJP leaders, which included him, successfully hoisted the national flag at Lal Chowk, an apparent reference to the party’s ‘Ekta Yatra’ in 1992 which was headed by its then president Murli Manohar Joshi.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated the Delhi section of the Namo Bharat corridor between Ashok Nagar and Sahibabad. Of the 13-kilometre section, six kilometre is underground and includes a prominent station on the corridor, Anand Vihar.

PM Modi purchased a smart ticket and interacted with passengers during his ride on the Namo Bharat Train.

He was also seen interacting with school children, who gifted him sketches and recited poems.

#WATCH | Sahibabad, UP: Prime Minister Narendra Modi to undertake a ride in Namo Bharat Train from Sahibabad RRTS Station to New Ashok Nagar RRTS Station.

(Source: DD News) pic.twitter.com/CBRIF5Nj94

— ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2025

With this inauguration, Namo Bharat trains will now arrive in the national capital. PM Modi inaugurated the 17 km priority section between Sahibabad and Duhai Depot in October last year.

This also marks the first time that Namo Bharat trains will operate in an underground section, the officials said.

The passenger operations will commence from 5 pm today and trains will be available to the public at a frequency of 15 minutes. The fare from New Ashok Nagar RRTS station to Meerut South is Rs 150 for standard coach and Rs 225 for premium coach.

Currently, a 42-km stretch of the corridor between Sahibabad and Meerut South, featuring nine stations, is operational. With this inauguration, the operational stretch of the Namo Bharat corridor will expand to 55 km, with a total of 11 stations.

Delhi-Meerut Travel Time Reduced

With the commencement of operations on this section, Meerut is now directly connected to Delhi. This will reduce travel time by one-third, enabling commuters to travel from New Ashok Nagar to Meerut South in just under 40 minutes.

Anand Vihar underground station is one of the largest stations on the Namo Bharat corridor. Commuters will be able to travel from here to Meerut South in just 35 minutes.

As a special arrangement for the movement of vehicles and pedestrians at this station, three bridges have been built over the Ghazipur drain. Two of these bridges are to be used for vehicle entry and exit, while one is exclusively for pedestrians, they said.

New Ashok Nagar is the first elevated Namo Bharat station to be operational on the Delhi section. Here, the corridor crosses the New Ashok Nagar metro station at a height of 20 meters.

Along with train services, a commercial centre has also been planned at the station for the convenience of commuters. This station is being connected to the Blue Line of Delhi Metro through a 90-meter-long foot over bridge, the officials said.

To date, Namo Bharat trains have served over 50 lakh commuters.

Further construction in other sections — New Ashok Nagar-Sarai Kale Khan and Meerut South-Modipuram — is underway.

Once the entire Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat Corridor becomes operational, it is projected to remove over one lakh private vehicles from the roads and reduce carbon emissions by 2.5 lakh tonnes annually.

Covering 82 km, the Namo Bharat corridor originates at Sarai Kale Khan in New Delhi and terminates at Modipuram in Meerut.

It features 16 Namo Bharat stations along with nine additional stations for the Meerut Metro, making it a comprehensive and transformative regional transit solution. 

Kolkata:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday, greeted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on her 70th birthday.

“On her birthday, I convey my greetings to West Bengal CM Mamata Didi. Praying for her long and healthy life,” read a message from the Prime Minister posted on his X handle.

On her birthday, I convey my greetings to West Bengal CM Mamata Didi. Praying for her long and healthy life. @MamataOfficial

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 5, 2025

A similar birthday wish was extended by Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge, who chose to extend the greetings in Bengali considering that it is the mother tongue of Mamata Banerjee.

“Warm birthday wishes to the founding chairperson TMC, Mamata didi. Wishing you a long and healthy life,” Mr Kharge’s post read.

For the last few years, the Prime Minister has not missed a single opportunity to wish Mamata Banerjee on this day. Almost every year, the Prime Minister wishes Mamata Banerjee on this day.

According to official records, Ms Banerjee was born on January 5, 1955, which, however, is not her “actual” birth date.

Ms Banerjee, in her 1995 memoir ‘Ekante’, has written about her birth, which took place during Durga Puja. The puja is usually held at the end of September or the beginning of October as per the Hindu calendar.

Mamata Banerjee became the Chief Minister of West Bengal in 2011 ending the 34-year Left Front rule and subsequently, her party won in two consecutive state Assembly elections first in 2016 and then in 2021.

She is the first woman Chief Minister of West Bengal. As the then-opposition leader in West Bengal, she had organised several protest movements against the then-Left Front government.

She was initially associated with Congress, but later broke off to form her party — Trinamool Congress. However, in the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2011 state Assembly elections, Trinamool Congress had an alliance with Congress. But, in the 2016 West Bengal Assembly polls, Congress parted ways with Trinamool and formed an alliance with the Left Front which continued till general elections in 2024.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

PM Modi and Mr Srinivas discussed the potential for the adoption of artificial intelligence in India.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee stands tall as a statesman and continues to inspire countless people, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote today, paying tribute to the former Prime Minister on his birth centenary.

“Our nation will always be grateful to Atal Ji for being the architect of India’s transition into the 21st century. When he took oath as PM in 1998 our nation had passed through a period of political instability. In about 9 years, we had seen 4 Lok Sabha elections. The people of India were getting impatient and also sceptical about governments being able to deliver. It was Atal Ji who turned this tide by providing stable and effective governance. Coming from humble roots, he realised the struggles of the common citizen and the transformative power of effective governance,” the Prime Minister wrote.

Prime Minister Modi said the Vajpayee era marked a gigantic leap for the Information Technology, telecom and communications sectors. “This was particularly important for a nation like ours, which is also blessed with a very dynamic Yuva Shakti. The NDA Government under Atal Ji made the first serious attempt to make technology accessible to the common citizens. At the same time, there was foresight in connecting India. Even today, most people recall the Golden Quadrilateral Project, which connected the length and breadth of India. Equally notable were the Vajpayee Government’s efforts to enhance local connectivity as well through initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. Similarly, his Government gave a push to metro connectivity by doing extensive work for the Delhi Metro, which stands out as a world-class infrastructure project.

“Thus, the Vajpayee Government not only boosted economic growth but also brought distant regions closer, fostering unity and integration,” the Prime Minister wrote.

“When it comes to the social sector, an initiative like the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan highlights how Atal Ji dreamt of building an India where modern education is accessible to people across the nation, particularly for the poor and marginalised sections. At the same time, his government presided over many economic reforms which set the stage for India’s economic surge after several decades of following an economic philosophy which encouraged cronyism and stagnation,” he added.

Prime Minister Modi then went on to underline Mr Vajpayee’s leadership when India conducted nuclear tests in Pokhran. “A wonderful example of Vajpayee Ji’s leadership can be seen in the summer of 1998. His Government had just assumed office and on 11th May, India conducted the Pokhran tests, known as Operation Shakti. These tests exemplified the prowess of India’s scientific community. The world was stunned that India had done the tests and expressed their anger in no uncertain terms. Any ordinary leader would have buckled, but Atal Ji was made differently. And what happened? India stood firm and resolute with the government calling for another set of tests two days later, on 13th May! If the tests of the 11th showed scientific skill, the ones on 13th showed true leadership.”

“It was a message to the world that gone were the days when India would buckle under threats or pressure. Despite facing international sanctions, the then NDA government of Vajpayee Ji stood firm, articulating India’s right to safeguard its sovereignty while simultaneously being the strongest proponent of world peace,” Prime Minister Modi wrote about his senior in the BJP.

“Atal Ji understood Indian democracy and also the need to make it stronger. Atal Ji presided over the creation of the NDA, which redefined coalitions in Indian politics. He brought people together and made NDA a force for development, national progress and regional ambitions. His Parliamentary brilliance was seen throughout his political journey. He belonged to a party with a handful of MPs but his words were enough to rattle the might of the all-powerful Congress Party that time. As Prime Minister, he blunted the criticisms of the Opposition with style and substance. His was a career spent largely in the Opposition benches but never carried any trace of bitterness against anyone, even though the Congress stooped to new lows by going to the extent of calling him a traitor!” the Prime Minister wrote.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he wrote, was not one to cling on to power through opportunistic means. “He preferred to resign in 1996 instead of following the path of horse-trading and dirty politics. In 1999, his Government was defeated by 1 vote. A lot of people told him to challenge the immoral politics happening then but he preferred to go by the rules. Eventually, he came back with another resounding mandate from the people,” Prime Minister Modi wrote.

The Prime Minister elaborated how Mr Vajpayee agreed to merge his party — then Jan Sangh — with the Janata Party to challenge the Indira Gandhi government after the Emergency.

“When it comes to commitment to protecting our Constitution too, Atal Ji stands tall. He was deeply impacted by the martyrdom of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee. Years later, he was a pillar of the anti-Emergency movement. In the run-up to the 1977 elections after the Emergency, he agreed to merger of his own Party (Jan Sangh) into the Janata Party. I am sure it would have been a painful decision for him and the others, but safeguarding the Constitution was all that mattered to him,” he wrote.

“It is also noteworthy how deeply rooted Atal Ji was in Indian culture. Upon becoming India’s External Affairs Minister, he became the first Indian leader to speak in Hindi at the United Nations. This one gesture showcased his immense pride in India’s heritage and identity, leaving an indelible mark on the global stage.

“Atal Ji’s persona was magnetic and his life was enriched by his love for literature and expression. A prolific writer and poet, he used words to inspire, provoke thought, and even offer solace. His poetry, often reflective of his inner struggles and hopes for the nation, continues to resonate with people across age groups,” the Prime Minister wrote.

Prime Minister Modi said it was a privilege for BJP workers like him to be able to learn from the stalwart. “For so many Bharatiya Janata Party Karyakartas like me, it is our privilege that we were able to learn and interact with a person like Atal Ji. His contribution to the BJP was foundational. In those days to spearhead an alternative narrative to the dominant Congress showed his greatness. Alongside stalwarts like Shri LK Advani Ji and Dr Murli Manohar Joshi Ji he nurtured the party from its formative years, guiding it through challenges, setbacks and triumphs. Whenever the choice came between ideology and power, he always chose the former. He was able to convince the nation that an alternative world view from the Congress was possible and such a worldview could deliver.”

“On his 100th Jayanti, let us rededicate ourselves to realising his ideals and fulfilling his vision for India. Let us strive to build an India that embodies his principles of good governance, unity, and progress. Atal Ji’s unwavering belief in the potential of our nation continues to inspire us to aim higher and work harder,” the Prime Minister wrote.