Rewari, Haryana:
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who was on Friday named the BJP's prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 national elections, is addressing a massive rally in Rewari, Haryana. Here are highlights of his speech:
- Our voice must reach those who are deployed on the borders
- Today I have the privilege of coming here and being amongst you
- Is dharti ne har yuddh mein shahadat ka shatak lagaya hain (This is the land of a 100 martyrs in every war in this country)
- As a small soldier of India, I salute the brave soldiers gather here
- To die for the country, to desire martyrdom is no less pious that rishis of India
- I salute all the ex-servicemen across India, not just those gathered here
- Today morning I got some news. India is a country that has been starved for good news for a decade
- We have been getting news of defeat and disappointment. I congratulate the scientists who have successfully test-fired the Agni-V ballistic missile today
- Two days ago, I was given a great responsibility by the BJP. The elation I have today being here, I did not have when my name was announced
- I was in Class 6 and belonged to a poor family. I had not seen 2 rupees together. I saw an advertisement in the newspaper for a sainik school
- I saved Rs 2 , and went to the post office for the first time. I got the prospectus from the school. Serving the country meant joining the Army
- I asked my father for money to travel to the sainik school, but my father said we did not have the means
- And this is the same school in Jamnagar where Haryana Chief Minister Hoodaji went - unhone Gujarat ka namak bahut khaya hain (LAUGHTER)
- In 1965, when I found out soldiers were going to the border through Mehsana, I went there without telling my father
- I served them tea, food... and that went on for many days
- Wherever I worked for the BJP, I visited cantonments and interacted with soldiers. They became my extended family
- This must be a divine signal. This rally was planned months earlier. How was I to know on September 13 such a huge announcement would take place?
- There isn't a family in Haryana that hasn't been touched by Swami Dayanand Saraswati and his Arya Samaj movement
- During the emergency, Morarji Desai was interned in Haryana and that is a connection Haryana has with Gujarat
- Sri Krishna was from Dwaraka in Gujarat but he is connected to Haryana through Kurukshetra where he delivered the sermon of Bhagwad Gita
- When Gujarat was struck by the earthquake at Bhuj, the soldiers of the Indian Army arrived as saviours (devdoot)
- In Uttarakhand, our soldiers worked relentlessly to save people and some of them were killed in serving the pilgrims
- I salute them and am proud of their sacrifices
- When the country was commemorating such sacrifices, Pakistani soldiers were killing our soldiers along the border
- And unfortunately, our Defence Minister said in Parliament there were some people in Pakistani Army uniforms
- How painful that must be for the thousands of Indians? But the govt in Delhi doesn't seem to care
- And it is shameful that a member of the ruling party says people join the army to die
- If you can't weep for the martyrs don't, but do not insult the memory of the soldiers who died for the country
- Whenever I get the opportunity to celebrate Diwali, I go and spend it with soldiers on the border
- I have laid 700 km of pipeline to get drinking water to the last border outpost when I saw camels were deployed to fetch water
- We have made a Shaheed Smarak (memorial) on the border for those who laid down their lives in the wars with Pakistan
- Pakistan doesn't let up in its antics, China is going eyeball to eyeball threatening to stop the flow of Brahmaputra
- Are our neighbours troubling us because our Army is weak? No. The problem is not at our borders, it is in Delhi
- Till we have a capable government in Delhi which is nationalistic and committed to protecting every citizen, we can't guarantee security
- The threat of internal security: India has lost more jawans to bullets from terrorists than enemies from across the border
- The nature of war has changed. Many more countries and people are affected by proxy war or terrorism as compared to those in the two World Wars
- There should be a global consensus on tackling terrorism, Maoism and that is not difficulty if India has capable leadership
- You can't selectively deal with terrorism. All humanist forces should come together for world peace and progress in the developing world
- Pakistan has a newly elected government, there was hope that they would try and improve relations. But the way our soldiers were killed shows their intentions are not good
- To Pakistan's rulers I say fight against poverty. Weapons and warfare have done you no good in 60 years. Try not allowing terrorists to use your territory for 10 years and you'll see your progress will be manifold
- When the Indian Army could not be defeated at the border, innocent citizens were targeted by terrorists
- Cross-border terrorism can't benefit India, Pakistan or Bangladesh
- To Pakistan, I say you may have been born out of anti-India politics but that can't contribute to your progress
- Vote-bank politics has eaten way at foundations of this country. If politicians have to learn secularism, look at the Indian Army. There is no greater example of Indian secularism
- Through the Sacchar Committee they conducted a headcount of Hindus and Muslims in the Army. They have committed the sin of trying to communally colour the Indian Army
- I salute the officers who stood against it and refused the census within the Armed Forces on communal lines
- I appeal to my soldiers - don't forgive these people who tried to divide you
- Strong Army, Strong Leadership, Strong Country - these are the dreams we must achieve
- We must have the educated youth in the Armed Forces - more than borders wars will be fought with technology
- We must create an atmosphere where joining the Army becomes a matter of pride
- When our solders with severed limbs go from door-to-door with appeals, that's not acceptable
- We must ensure our ex-servicemen live with dignity and honour
- Demand that the govt of India bring out a 'white paper' on the status on One-Rank-One-Pension
- We can use the skills of ex-servicemen in many areas - if you use them in fire brigades, there will be no fire in this country
- (Mentions Rajyavardhan Rathore) who brought glory to the country with his Olympic medal.. can't more soldiers do it?
- Appointing 1000 ex-servicemen had such a moral impact that the power thefts stopped
- Most of the budget of the Army goes towards importing cheap munitions
- We are a country of 1.2 billion with the capability of launching its own missiles, but we import the smallest of things
- The people in Delhi don't know how its soldiers are but do know when the next tender is coming out
- We should dream that we will have the capability of developing our defense industries and become exporters
- We must become self-reliant in meeting the needs of our Armed Forces. If the supply of weaponry stops during war, due to the foreign policy of a third nation, imagine what our plight will be
- Casting your vote is also a way of serving the nation. When we get the right to vote, many of us don't appreciate the gift of our constitution
- If you want a strong India, ensure that people are enfranchised
- I want your help with another endeavour. Sardar Patel united this country but for many years his contribution has been forgotten
- He was a farmer, he was the iron-man of India. We want to make a memorial for Sardar Patel - a statue of unity that will be twice as tall as the Statue of Liberty
- We want to make the tallest statue in the world and we want to involve the whole country in this endeavour
- I want a piece of iron from every village - iron that is used to till the land in villages
- Vande Mataram