Alleges conspiracy to divide India
Ekta Nagar, Oct 31: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused Opposition parties of abandoning their democratic responsibility and becoming an “avrodh paksh” (obstructionist Opposition), while alleging that forces seeking to divide India were operating through networks involving foreign contacts and support.
Addressing the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas gathering at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat on the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Modi urged citizens to recognise what he described as attempts to weaken national unity by creating divisions and turning people against one another.
“Who is secretly meeting whom abroad? Whom are anti-India forces supporting? Who is speaking the language of India’s enemies? We must recognise all these patterns,” he said.
The Prime Minister alleged that such forces were exploiting political disappointment and spreading misinformation to create instability in the country. He also warned against the use of social media to circulate rumours and tarnish India’s image.
“The way social media is being used as a weapon, rumours are being spread, and attempts are being made to tarnish India’s image — citizens will have to deal with these together,” he said.
Calling for a united response to what he described as conspiracies to divide the country, Modi said national unity had helped India withstand external challenges, including the recent global energy crisis.
He said India was facing a period of global instability marked by wars, economic difficulties, resource shortages and disruptions in global supply chains, making unity essential for the country’s stability and progress.
The Prime Minister alleged that while the country was dealing with external pressures, certain forces within India were attempting to create instability through misinformation. He said citizens had remained united with the nation during difficult periods and described collective resolve as one of India’s greatest strengths.
In a sharp attack on the Opposition, Modi said the Constitution envisaged important roles for both the ruling party and the Opposition, but alleged that opposition parties had abandoned their responsibility of questioning government policies.
Invoking Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and B R Ambedkar, he said the constitutional framework recognised the importance of a functioning Opposition in a democracy.
“In a democracy, the responsibility of the Opposition is to oppose the government’s policies. But it is our misfortune that, at present, the Opposition in the country has abandoned its duty and, instead of being the Opposition, has become an obstructionist Opposition,” he said.
He alleged that frustration and disappointment had driven Opposition parties to obstruct the country’s development.
“This is not opposition; this is obstruction. They have made it their politics,” Modi said, accusing them of disregarding constitutional propriety.
Highlighting the government’s social welfare achievements, Modi claimed that nearly 100 crore people were now covered by social security measures, compared with fewer than 25 crore before 2014.
He credited Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) with ensuring that financial assistance reached beneficiaries while reducing leakages in welfare delivery. Free foodgrain distribution, healthcare services, permanent houses, toilets, clean cooking fuel and insurance coverage were among the initiatives he cited as measures that had reduced the financial burden on poor households.
Taking a swipe at previous Congress governments, Modi said poverty eradication had remained an election slogan for decades without substantially changing the condition of poor people.
“Since Independence, there has been talk of removing poverty in India. Votes were sought in the name of removing poverty, but we all know the condition of poverty in the country. Those who raised the slogan of ‘Garibi Hatao’ themselves kept becoming richer,” he said.
Referring to a recent World Bank report, Modi claimed that 50 crore Indians had moved out of extreme poverty in the 10-12 years before 2024, while the proportion of people living in extreme poverty had declined from 27 per cent to fewer than three per cent.
On the security front, the Prime Minister claimed that India had fulfilled its pledge to eliminate Naxalism, asserting that no district in the country remained affected by Left-wing extremism by March 2026.
Recalling his address at the same venue a year ago, he said the country’s resolve to become free of Naxalism and Maoist violence had been fulfilled.
“Today, when we are gathered here exactly one year later, that resolve of the country has been fulfilled. The backbone of Naxalism has been broken,” he said.
Citing figures, Modi said 126 districts were affected by Left-wing extremism in 2015, but by March 2026 no district remained affected by Naxalism.
He said regions that had suffered decades of violence were now joining the development mainstream, with improved road and mobile connectivity and better access to schools and healthcare facilities. Young people in these areas, he added, were gaining new opportunities in education and employment.
The Prime Minister paid tribute to security personnel killed in anti-Naxal operations and acknowledged their contribution to restoring peace. Families from formerly Naxal-affected regions were also invited to the National Unity Day celebrations.
The parade at Ekta Nagar featured anti-Naxal units from several states and central forces, highlighting their deployments, operations and personnel killed in the line of duty.
Modi reiterated the objective of building a developed India by 2047, saying national unity and collective resolve would be crucial to achieving the goal without allowing internal or external challenges to derail the country’s progress.
