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INDEPENDENCE DAY





 A dream       This  time  around  he  was  set -  rorism, NRC and farmers suicides   stitched up lately. And so this time he

                                              which  are the  underlying prob -
                                                                            aimed at reaching out not to alliance
               ting a tone for elections in Mad -
                                              lems in the country presently. He
                                                                            partners but newer constituencies of
               hya  Pradesh,  Chhattisgarh  and
                                                                            dalits, OBC’s, minorities and others.
 merchant at work  Rajasthan to convey that he is a   avoided contentious & controversial    Major opposition parties have come
                                              issues, it was all about the ‘feel good’.
               PM who believes in performance.
                                                                            together with the prime aim of ‘Modi
                                                Modi came in 2014 with a prom-
               Since 2014 this is the first time that
                                              ise of making India a manufacturing  Mukt Bharat’’. Congress has sharp-
               the narrative is against him wheth-
                                                                            ened its attacks and is in the final
               er its economy or social milieu of
                                              hub which hasn’t shown tangible re-
               the country, be it lynching, sliding
                                              sults. Niti Ayog which was replaced
               growth or jobs. So this time he made  by  Planning  Commission  which   process of chalking out lethal and
                                                                            unmissable strategy to corner Modi
 Since 2014 ,this is the first time that PM Narendra Modi’s narrative has gone against him   sure that he pushed hard of the posi-  much of a hoopla hasn’t done much   and his policies. AICC General Sec-
               tive narrative.
                                                                            retary Ashok Gehlot says Congress
                                              in terms of structural reforms. The
 whether its economy, lynching, sliding growth or jobs. Therefore, Modi is focusing more on   However  Modi  emphasizes   export scene is pretty unsatisfactory  is ready for the elections if they are
 achievements of his government with an eye on 2019 elections, writes PRITI PRAKASH  the  benefits  that  GST  and  De -  too.  preponed as Modi pushes for ‘One
 he nation listened with   leave any stone unturned in woo-  electoral narrative. Knowing that he
 rapt  attention  at  what   ing the voters of India. The speech   now doesn’t have anything concrete
 Prime Minister Naren-  of Modi was a report card of his   to offer in terms of economy, Modi
 dra  Modi  was  offering   government where he gave himself   harped  upon  populist  schemes.
 T this Independence Day,   full marks on toilets construction,   He pressed all right buttons in his
 the last speech of the first round, a   power, LPG, highway construction,   speech- poor, farmers, youth, middle
 few months ahead of general elec-  building homes. As the PM, Modi   class, soldiers, tax payers, corrup-
 tion. Clearly the Prime Minister too   was out this time selling his ‘’new’    tion, middleman, power brokers. On
 had it all over him. Modi brought   India vision aggressively. A dream   women who are his key vote bank
 to best use his charisma and his   merchant selling Man Mission in   he struck a chord when he patted
 earthly connect on this occasion.   Space as next big dream. Gifting an   his back on women making it as
 His style that marks him apart along   aspiration to people, asking them to   Supreme Court Judges, women in
 with his eloquence translates into   feel proud of being Indian, Modi said   the cabinet, women winning medals
 a kind confidence which by far any    that the power of the Indian pass-  in sports and on women’s victory on
 Indian would like to see in its leader.   port has increased and that India’s   triple talak. From scaling Mt Everest
 With his body language expressive   standing has improved in the world   by tribal children to expedition to
 of his charged confidence and per-  today. He came across as a man who   South Pole by Indian women.
 sonal appeal, he spoke in his resil-  wants to carve out a destiny. This   A  Santa  Claus  like  Modi  an -
 ient, assured manner braving the   time he knew that he had to give a   nounced ‘Ayushman Bharat’’, the
 hot humid August 15. He was giving   speech which ensures that he gives   National Health Mission also popu-
 a vision map.  the next 5 more.   larly called as Modicare, the larg-
 There’s no denying that Modi’s   As he said, we can take tough de-  est government funded healthcare
 speeches are rhetoric fireworks, they   cisions because nation’s interest is   programme which will be rolled out
 are a roller coaster and people enjoy   first for us, not the party’s, he set the   on September 5, 2018 and removal
 listening to him. The accompany-  of AFSPA from North East. He is -
 ing theatrics make him come across   sued a warning to spiralling atroci-
 larger than life yet real, the dema-  ties on women and children saying
 gogy that he envelops, the currency,   The speech of Modi   rapes should be widely reported and    • Rhetoric fireworks On this Independence Day too, Modi came across as the man of the moment with his oratorial luxuries
 the brand that he is, the confidence,   was a report card   rapists should be sent to gallows
 positive energy, readiness that char-  for their crimes to enforce the rule
 acterises him is what is his USP that   of his government   of law.   monetization  would  bring  for   Challenges ahead  Nation, One Poll’. Congress too has
 catapults him into the likes of Indira   where he gave   Modi did not spare the opposition   the  country’s  future  and  in -  Close to 2019 General Elections,   devised its slogan against BJP. Con-
 Gandhi. On this Independence Day   for UPA’s red-tapism culture, power   terests  they  were  the  biggest    Prime Minister is up against chal-  gress spokesman Randeep Surjewa-
 too, he came across as the man of the   himself full marks on  brokering, policy paralysis, no action   fiascos at the end of the common   lenges which will decide who the   la says BJP is following the policy of
 moment with his oratorial luxuries.  toilets construction,   on GST and India’s low global image.    man. He did not talk of increas -  next PM will be more than which   ‘Divide, Deceive and Distort’. The
 Crooning over the achievements   ing oil prices, falling rupee, upward   government comes to power. The   party attacks Modi of strangulating
 of his government with election   power and highway   Stumbing blocks  inflation, low exports, bank crisis,   prime challenge and what is im -  the voice of media too after over-
 2019 as the target, like Arjun’s eye in   construction  An  analysis  of  his  four  years   lynching. There was no mention   portant is that he faces the grand   looking judiciary.
 the epic Mahabharat, Modi did not   have seen his priorities change.   of Pakistan and cross border ter-  alliance,  the  Mahagathbandhan,   Rahul Gandhi has not just trained



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