Independence Day 2018: PM Modi addresses the nation from Red Fort

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the occasion of India's 72nd Independence Day on Wednesday, unfurled the national flag at the Red Fort here and paid tributes to freedom fighters and the armed forces for protecting the national flag.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays floral tributes at the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi, at Rajghat, on the occasion of 72nd Independence Day

"On behalf of the people of India, I bow to all those great women and men who sacrificed themselves for the nation during the freedom movement," the Prime Minister said in his Independence Day speech after unfurling the national flag at the Red Fort here.

"I salute the Army personnel and other forces who sacrifice their lives to protect India's national flag," Modi said.

He paid tribute to the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre. "Next year on Baisakhi, it will be 100 years of Jallianwala Bagh massacre. I bow to them who fought for independence and sacrificed their lives."

The Prime Minister said his thoughts also lay with the families of those who have lost their lives due to floods in various parts of India.

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Modi unfurls national flag at Red Fort

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unfurled the national flag at the Red Fort here on the occasion of India's 72nd Independence Day.

Dressed in a white kurta and a safa (turban) of a similar hue tinged with orange and green, he unfurled the flag at the 17th century monument amid a 21-gun salute.

Modi was received at Lahori Gate of Red Fort by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre and Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra.

He then reviewed a tri-services guard of honour.

India to send manned space mission by 2022: Modi

"In space technology, we have dreamt something, our scientists have dreamt something. And I am happy to announce that by 2022, the 75th Independence year, we are planning a manned space mission," Modi said in his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort.

"We will put an Indian in space by 2022 or earlier," he said.

He said India was proud of its scientists, who were excelling in their research and were at the forefront of innovation.

"Our scientists have made us proud. They launched over 100 satellites... They successfully completed the Mars mission."

https://twitter.com/PIB_India/status/1029553191107551232

Modi praises nation's 'daughters' for crossing 7 seas

"India has registered its name as the sixth largest economy in the world. It has created positivity. We are celebrating the festival of freedom in such a positive atmosphere," Modi said in his last Independence Day speech before the 2019 elections.

"The country is brimming with self-confidence and is regularly crossing new heights."

Modi began his fifth speech from the Red Fort by talking about how his government had been working for the upliftment of Dalits and backward sections.

He said the government, at the recently concluded monsoon session of parliament, gave constitutional status to the OBC and SC-ST Commission to protect the rights of the underprivileged.

"The session was devoted to social justice. The session witnessed the passage of the bill to create an OBC Commission. Dalits, women and other weaker section.

Modi promises housing, power, water for all

"Housing for all, power for all, water for all, LPG for all, toilet for all, skill for all, health for all, insurance for all, connectivity for all," Modi said towards the end of his Independence Day speech at the Red Fort here.

"Malnutrition is a big problem. I want to provide quality life to my people."

India now world's sixth largest economy: Modi

"India has registered its name as the sixth largest economy in the world. It has created positivity. We are celebrating the festival of freedom in such a positive atmosphere," Modi said in his last Independence Day speech before the 2019 elections.

"The country is brimming with self-confidence and is regularly crossing new heights."

Modi began his fifth speech from the Red Fort by talking about how his government had been working for the upliftment of Dalits and backward sections.

He said the government, at the recently concluded monsoon session of parliament, gave constitutional status to the OBC and SC-ST Commission to protect the rights of the underprivileged.

"The session was devoted to social justice. The session witnessed the passage of the bill to create an OBC Commission. Dalits, women and other weaker sections of the society have been empowered," he said.

https://twitter.com/PIB_India/status/1029560912775020544

India on new trajectory after government's bold decisions: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said his government had the courage to take "bold decisions", like MSP for farmers and GST, putting India on a new trajectory unlike the previous regime which he alleged suffered from indecisiveness.

He said India's status in the world had increased manifold since 2014 when a BJP-led NDA came to power "because we have an acumen to take bold decisions".

Institutions and economic scientists across the world used to refer India as a "risky economy but today the same institutions and the same individuals are saying with confidence that reforms have given India a new momentum and strong fundamentals", Modi said in his address to the nation from the Red Fort on the 72nd Independence Day.

Modi said the country was earlier counted among the fragile five economies in the world. "But today India is considered a multi-trillion dollar destination" for investment.

"They say the sleeping elephant has woken up and started walking. For the next three decades, India is going to guide and speed up the world economy."

Targeting the Congress-led UPA but without naming it, Modi said if his government had worked with the speed followed in 2013, it would have taken a century in making India open defecation free or electrifying every part or even providing LPG connection to every woman.

"The demand for higher MSP (minimum support price for farmers) was pending for years. From farmers to political parties to agriculture experts, everybody was asking about it but nothing happened. The decision was taken by our government to provide the MSP of 1.5 times of production cost."

He said the armed forces veterans were demanding one rank, one pension but no one listened to them before the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power.

He talked about the Goods and Services Tax (GST), saying it had given new confidence to small and big traders who "wholeheartedly embraced" the new tax regime despite facing "initial problems".

"It is the same land, same sky, sea, government offices and the country. But in the last four years, India has moved with a new zeal and therefore today India is constructing twice the highways and producing record crops."

We've brought northeast India closer to Delhi: Modi

"Four years ago, people from northeast used to feel Delhi is far away. In the past four years, we have brought the northeast closer to Delhi," he said in his address to the nation from the Red Fort here on the occasion of the 72nd Independence Day.

He said people were ignoring news about this region earlier.

"Now, when we read about the northeast in the papers, we see villages getting electricity, highways and railways being constructed. New job opportunities have been created and educational institutes are coming up," he said.

Modi also spoke about the achievements of the region in sports, construction and infrastructure and business.

Sex crimes, rapes have to end: Modi

"We have to free our society and country from this disgusting mentality of rape," Modi said in his Independence Day address from the the Red Fort.

"In Madhya Pradesh a rapist was hanged by a fast track court. People should know this. Rule of law is supreme and no one can take the law in their hands," he said.

Kashmir problem can't be resolved with bullets: Modi

In his speech on the 72nd Independence Day at the Red Fort here, he said his government was following the teachings of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

"Atalji called for 'insaniyat' (humanity), 'Kashmiriat' (eclectic Kashmiri culture) and 'jamhooriyat' (democracy). I also said that the issues in Kashmir can be resolved by embracing the people of Kashmir."

Modi said his government was committed for the all-round development of all sections and regions in Jammu and Kashmir, the country's only Muslim-majority state.

He said Jammu and Kashmir, now under Governor's Rule, would hold the much-awaited Panchayat and local body elections. He did not say when.