New Delhi:
In his first speech in a Parliament discussion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it clear that he is here to work to a plan and not "to criticise any government."
He began by asking to be excused if he made a mistake. "When a new member like me is speaking, I hope you will forgive me if I make mistakes," he said.
Mr Modi is replying to a debate on the President's address to a joint session of Parliament on his government's agenda and plans.
Promising to ensure that his government will work towards achieving everything outlined in the roadmap laid out by the President, the PM noted that various questions were raised by speakers from political parties on important issues during the debate and said, "all of them had a hope in them. I take this as good sign."
Elected members on either side of the political divide, Mr Modi said, are the custodians of the people's hope. He congratulated the people of India for electing a stable government, saying. "It is time to present India as a strong nation."
Mr Modi said his government's priority was the poor. "Rich people can afford to send their kids to good school, afford good medical care...The government's work is to listen to the poor, to work for the poor and live for them, he said.
He also emphasised on the need for education, which he said was the most powerful weapon against poverty.