Bhubaneswar, Sep 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi drew parallels between British rule and the Congress and said that the people who are trying to "divide and rule" have problems with Ganesh Puja.

While addressing an event in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday, the Prime Minister alleged that the British, during its rule in India, had problems with Ganesh Utsav and added that people who are "hungry for power" have issues with Ganesh Puja.

This comes in the backdrop of the recent controversy triggered by PM Modi attending Ganesh Puja at Chief Justice DY Chandrachud's residence.

"Ganesh Utsav is not just a festival of faith for our country. Ganesh Utsav played a very important role in the independence of our country. The British, who worked on the policy of 'Divide and Rule', were irked by the Ganesh Utsav. Dividing us in the name of caste was a weapon of the British. Today also, the people who are trying to divide and break Indian society are irked by Ganesh Utsav. People who are hungry for power have an issue with Ganesh Pooja. The people of Congress and its eco-system are agitated because I attended Ganpati Poojan," PM Modi said.

"In Karnataka, where they are in power, they committed an even bigger sin. They put Lord Ganesh's idol behind bars. The whole country is disturbed because of those pictures. We cannot let these hateful elements move forward. We have a lot to achieve yet," he added.

The Prime Minister also highlighted the Subhdra scheme, which is a flagship scheme of the Odisha government that was launched today. "I had said that if the double-engine government would be formed then Odisha will reach new heights of development," he said.

"Today, witness the fulfilment of our promises at an unprecedented pace! We vowed to open all four doors of Bhagwan Jagannath Temple upon forming the government, and we have delivered the same. The Ratna Bhandar is now open too. The BJP works tirelessly, day and night, serving the people," he added.

PM Modi also emphasised that the third NDA government was completing its first 100 days at the Centre and said, "Today marks the 100th day of the NDA government at the Centre. During this period, big decisions have been taken for the empowerment of the poor, farmers, youth and women."

The Prime Minister also recalled an emotional moment with his mother and also thanked one of the beneficiaries who fed him 'kheer' during his visit to their house, reminding him of his mother.

"Before coming here, I went to the home of an Adivasi family to attend their Grih Pravesh event. My sister in that family gave me Kheer to eat. And when I was eating that kheer, it was obvious that I missed my mother. When my mother was alive, I always used to visit her on my birthday to seek her blessings. My mother used to feed me 'Gud' (jaggery) by hand. She is not there anymore but my Adivasi mother fed me Kheer and gave me birthday blessings," he said.

PM Modi interacted with beneficiaries of PM Awas Yojana-Urban in Bhubaneswar. The Prime Minister, along with Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, visited the houses of several beneficiaries while they shared their queries.

He also stressed the importance of Hyderabad Mukti Diwas and said, "The country is celebrating Hyderabad Mukti Divas today. At the time of independence, the opportunists were ready to break India into pieces to gain power. Sardar Patel came forward and united the country. He controlled the anti-India extremist powers in Hyderabad and freed it on September 17."

"Hyderabad Mukti Divas is not just a date but an inspiration for us regarding our responsibilities towards our country. We also have to pay attention to those challenges that are trying to push the country backwards," he added.

PM Modi earlier laid the foundation stone and inaugurated various development projects worth Rs 3800 crore in Bhubaneswar. He also launched and dedicated to the nation several projects in the state. He released the 1st instalment of assistance to nearly 10 lakh beneficiaries under PMAY-G in around 14 states.

The Griha Pravesh celebrations for 26 lakh beneficiaries of PMAY (Gramin and Urban) from across the country were held during the program. PM Modi also handed over the keys to their house to PMAY (Gramin and Urban) beneficiaries. He also launched the AWS+ 2024 app for a survey of additional households for PMAY-G. Further, the Prime Minister launched the Operational Guidelines of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana--Urban (PMAY-U) 2.0.

The Prime Minister launched 'Subhdra', the flagship scheme of the Government of Odisha, in Bhubaneswar. It is the largest, single women-centric scheme and is expected to cover more than 1 crore women. Under the scheme, all eligible beneficiaries between the ages of 21 and 60 would receive Rs 50,000 for 5 years between 2024-25 to 2028-29. An amount of Rs 10,000 per annum in two equal instalments will be credited directly to the beneficiary's Aadhaar-enabled and DBT-enabled bank account. On this historic occasion, the Prime Minister initiated the fund transfer into the bank accounts of more than 10 lakh women. (ANI)

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