BJP hails PM Modi’s ‘Saptadhara’ roadmap for Viksit Bharat, targets ‘dimagi Naxalism’

New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday elaborated on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Saptadhara’ vision of building a ‘Viksit Bharat’, stating that the roadmap announced from the ramparts of the Red Fort on August 15 was aimed at giving India an ambitious national goal comparable to the aspirations associated with the ‘Great American Dream’.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, party’s national spokesperson Sambit Patra said that India has moved towards building infrastructure, industries and opportunities comparable with developed countries, while also outlined the seven-pronged ‘Saptadhara’ roadmap for achieving the goal of ‘Viksit Bharat’.

Recalling how Indians once looked at images of foreign countries, he remarked, “I remember, when we were teenagers, when we were in our youth, whenever we saw pictures of foreign countries, whether on TV or in Hollywood movies, we used to feel: why can’t we be like that? Why can’t India be like that? Why can’t such roads exist in India? Why can’t such bridges and such trains exist in India? Why is it that only the US dream has to be big? Why is it that there can be a ‘Great American Dream’, but India cannot have an ambitious goal?” Patra said.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address, the BJP Lok Sabha MP said that the Prime Minister placed an ambitious national goal before the country through the ‘Saptadhara’ roadmap. He said that the first pillar was manufacturing power, with emphasis on strengthening domestic value chains and ensuring end-to-end production within India.

“The focus will be on precision manufacturing, zero-defect products and highly competitive factories producing quality goods,” the BJP leader said.

He also described the government’s manufacturing plans as a guarantee of reliable production.

The second stream, Patra said, centred on farmers, agriculture and food products. Patra referred to farmers as ‘Annadatas’ and said the focus would be on raising agricultural productivity, increasing the production of pulses and oilseeds, and promoting chemical-free and organic farming.

The third pillar is technology and innovation, covering areas such as space technology, quantum technology, artificial intelligence and data infrastructure. Patra stressed the need to keep Indian data secure within the country.

He also highlighted Modi’s announcement of AI training for one crore young people within a year and free online coaching for children through Digital Public Infrastructure.

“When one crore children are trained in AI within a single year, that is when the technology and innovation stream of our Saptadhara will be fulfilled,” he said.

Speaking about Gati Shakti, another pillar, Patra said the objective was to improve connectivity through high-speed rail, modern highways and inland waterways. He highlighted infrastructure development in the Northeast, particularly new and upgraded airports and railway stations, and cited the redevelopment of Puri railway station as an example.

Patra said defence power was another major component of the roadmap. He pointed to the airstrike and surgical strike as examples of India’s changed approach to national security. He said the country was becoming increasingly self-reliant in defence production and had progressed from being a major importer to exporting indigenous defence equipment.

“Countries from which we once imported goods, we are now exporting defence products, our indigenous defence products, to those very nations,” he said.

Patra also criticised Congress leader P Chidambaram over his reported remarks on the term ‘Dimagi Naxal’, or intellectual Naxal. He cited a 2013 affidavit submitted by the then UPA government in the Supreme Court on the threat posed by Naxalism and argued that intellectual Naxalism also needed to be countered.

The Green and Blue Economy forms another stream, Patra said, with green hydrogen, renewable energy, energy storage and green manufacturing identified as important areas. He cited rooftop solar installations and the Surya Ghar Yojana as examples of clean energy becoming part of daily life.

He also highlighted India’s nuclear energy ambitions, including the target of 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047.

The seventh stream, cultural and soft power, covers Yoga, Ayurveda, cultural tourism, handicrafts, cinema, visual effects, animation, gaming and digital content. Patra cited the global popularity of Yoga and International Yoga Day as evidence of India’s growing cultural influence.

He said the seven streams together formed a roadmap towards making India a developed nation and urged the media to give greater attention to what he described as positive stories of the country’s transformation.

Patra said the roadmap was intended to create a stronger domestic economy while expanding opportunities for young people. He said manufacturing, agriculture, technology, infrastructure, defence, clean energy and cultural influence would have to advance together for India to realise its ambitions.

He also maintained that greater self-reliance would strengthen the country’s economic and strategic position and help India compete successfully in the global economy.

— IANS

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