'Delhi Will Not Run the Country': PM Narendra Modi Makes Federalism Pitch in West Bengal's Burnpur

Burnpur, West Bengal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing a public meeting at West Bengal's Burnpur, on the second day of his visit to the state.

Here are the highlights of what he has said:
 

• I heard the Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee). She said the more that Centre and state are able to work together, there will be more progress. And I totally agree with what she said.
• Centre and the state both need to work together for the nation to prosper.
• The Constitution has give us a federal structure. But there has always been tension between the Centre and the state.
• I have been a Chief Minister too, so I know.
• This attitude is not good. It will not do anything for the benefit of the nation.
• So we brought in change. We brought in cooperative federalism.
• Delhi will not run the country.
• Now the country won't stand on one pillar. But combining all states, it will stand on 30 pillars.
• Without Team India, the country cannot prosper.
• PM and CM are a team, whatever the party may be. Country is bigger than party.
• If this CM had put up obstacles, the growth at IISCO wouldn't have happened. We worked as a team.
• For 41 years, a case was hanging (boundary dispute). Since Mujib's (Bangladesh's founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman) time. Now the tension with Bangladesh is over.
• Team India did it. Shoulder to shoulder, together.
• Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, in both Houses, there was total unity.
• If we can solve foreign problems so easily, then tackling domestic issues should be easier.
• Under the 14 Finance Commission, Delhi controlled 60 per cent of the funds. Not 40-50 per cent.
• Now, we have said 62 per cent of the funds will be controlled by the states.
• There are many examples of Centre-state cooperation.
• There are social inequalaties in India. There are also geographical inequalities.
• The west is more active economically. East has been ignored. The Northeast, Bengal, Bihar, Orissa... powerful states, rich. But left behind in development.
• If one part of Bharat Ma is not well, then she is not well.
• We want to uplift the east.
• Without Bengal being strengthened, India cannot be strong.
• In 2014, this was election time, parties were attacking each other.
• I was attacked and I also attacked.
• But since then, see the papers. There was scam after scam. But now, there are no scams in the papers.
• Bengal is benefitting from coal auctions for the first time.
• Our resources are in places held by adivasis.
• We will set up a foundation. Money will go to the fund and will be used for local development.
• We export iron, but buy steel from abroad.
• We can't export wheat and import rotis.
• Where will we get the money for development? It will come from three places - land, mineral resources and the skill of the people.
• The whole world was saying India's economy was finished.
• Now, we are the fastest growing country in the world.
• Bengal has been discriminated against. Bengal has a big role to play.