Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Indian Community Reception in Shanghai.
Shanghai:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated the first anniversary of his spectacular victory in the national elections last year with what was a 53-minute address to what he called a "mini India" in Shanghai.
His 5000-strong audience, members of the India community in China, chanted "Modi, Modi" every time the PM delivered a punchline or even just paused.
"I didn't realise that after one year I will be in front of a mini-India away from India," the Prime Minister said, drawing cheers when he also said, "No one would make me PM looking at my bio data... I bow to the millions of Indians whose determination made the impossible possible."
"The son of tea seller became the Prime Minister. It can only happen in a democracy as strong as India," he said.
"Bless me," said the PM, "I need your blessings so that I don't make a mistake that causes loss to my country."
He also said that while inexperience could cause him to err, "bad intentions" never would. "In one year, there has been no such incident when anyone has accused us of wrong doing," the PM said.
PM Modi compared his one year of governance favourably to the previous Congress-led regime, making multiple attacks on the opposition party and also on its leader Rahul Gandhi, when he noted that he had taken no vacations in the last year.
The jibe at Mr Gandhi for his recent two-month sabbatical abroad was clear, though PM Modi did not name him or his party.
"Earlier there was a sense of negativity attached with India's global perception. In one year, are you not able to hold your head high and look the world eye to eye?" the PM asked to many affirmatives from the audience.
It was his last speech in China and the PM presented highlights from his three-day visit, saying, "Together India and China are one third of the world's population. India and China can not only help each other but also aid the world in solving many other problems."
His 5000-strong audience, members of the India community in China, chanted "Modi, Modi" every time the PM delivered a punchline or even just paused.
"I didn't realise that after one year I will be in front of a mini-India away from India," the Prime Minister said, drawing cheers when he also said, "No one would make me PM looking at my bio data... I bow to the millions of Indians whose determination made the impossible possible."
"The son of tea seller became the Prime Minister. It can only happen in a democracy as strong as India," he said.
"Bless me," said the PM, "I need your blessings so that I don't make a mistake that causes loss to my country."
He also said that while inexperience could cause him to err, "bad intentions" never would. "In one year, there has been no such incident when anyone has accused us of wrong doing," the PM said.
PM Modi compared his one year of governance favourably to the previous Congress-led regime, making multiple attacks on the opposition party and also on its leader Rahul Gandhi, when he noted that he had taken no vacations in the last year.
The jibe at Mr Gandhi for his recent two-month sabbatical abroad was clear, though PM Modi did not name him or his party.
"Earlier there was a sense of negativity attached with India's global perception. In one year, are you not able to hold your head high and look the world eye to eye?" the PM asked to many affirmatives from the audience.
It was his last speech in China and the PM presented highlights from his three-day visit, saying, "Together India and China are one third of the world's population. India and China can not only help each other but also aid the world in solving many other problems."
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