Picture : ANI / X
Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered his longest Independence Day speech at 98 minutes as he addressed the country from the ramparts of historic Red Fort.
Modi’s Independence Day speeches have been longer than any other prime minister in India’s history.
His longest I-day speech before Thursday was 96 minutes in 2016 while his shortest speech was in 2017 when he spoke for around 56 minutes.
On the 78th Independence Day, Modi also became the prime minister to hoist the tricolour on Independence Day and deliver a speech for the third highest time.
Modi delivered his first Independence Day speech in 2014, which lasted for 65 minutes.
His speech in 2015 lasted for about 88 minutes. This was Modi’s 11th address as PM and his first after taking charge for a third term.
In 2018, Modi addressed from the ramparts of the Red Fort for 83 minutes. Subsequently, in 2019, he spoke for nearly 92 minutes, which was his second-longest to date.
In 2020 Modi’s I-day address lasted for 90 minutes
IN his address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch for ‘one nation, one election’ and urged political parties to come forward to realise the dream while contending that frequent polls were creating hurdles in the nation’s progress.
He said extensive consultations have been held across the country on the issue and all political parties have given their views while a committee has submitted an excellent report.
“Frequent elections are creating hurdles in the progress of the nation. It has become easy to link any scheme/initiative with elections. There are elections somewhere every three to six months. Every work is linked to elections,” Modi said from the ramparts of the Red Fort.
He called for discussion on the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in India, describing the current civil code as “communal” and advocating for a “secular” alternative.
“There should be discussions on the Uniform Civil Code. The present civil code appears to be ‘communal’. India needs a ‘secular’ civil code. It is need of hour to have a secular civil code and do away with discriminatory communal civil code,” he said.
PM Narendra Modi said that the ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ is not mere words and that are reflection of resolve and dreams of 140 crore people.
“We are capable of making India developed nation by 2047 with our resolve,” Modi said in his address on Independence Day.
