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4 min readNew DelhiApr 7, 2026 05:30 AM IST
PM Narendra Modi in Barpeta, Assam, Monday. Modi also addressed rallies in Hojai and Dibrugarh. He said while his government carried out Op Sindoor, Congress continued to ‘sing to Pakistan’s tune’. (PTI)
Underlining that “our mission” for a Uniform Civil Code and One Nation One Election is continuing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Monday that a “serious discussion” on these issues is underway in the country and there has been “constructive progress” (sakaratmak pragati) in that direction.
In his address to BJP workers on the occasion of the party’s foundation day, Modi said demographic change and “infiltration” are challenges that have to be combated, and that only the BJP can do this.
That there should be a UCC in India has been a demand of BJP ever since its inception, and the BJP government in Uttarakhand put in place a UCC on January 27, 2025. Last month, the Gujarat Assembly also passed a UCC legislation. The UCC is part of the Directive Principles of State Policy under Article 44.
In his address, Modi recalled the many promises and achievements of BJP, including the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and the abrogation of Article 370.
On India’s foreign policy in times of war, Modi said the country follows the ancient ideal of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family). “There was a time when there was pride in maintaining equidistance from all countries. Today, we maintain equal closeness with all,” he said.
BJP, he said, had set its eyes on making women’s reservation in Parliament through the Naari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam a reality in 2029 itself. Parliament is scheduled to meet for three days to pave the way for its implementation without waiting for the data of the next Census.
“In 1994, in Baroda, we passed a resolution for women’s reservation, and also decided to increase the presence of women in the organisation,” he said, projecting BJP as a party that has always believed in higher representation of women.
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Referring to the upcoming elections in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, Modi said he could see a new energy in the party in all the states and UT. Praising BJP chief Nitin Nabin, he said it seemed he had added “naveenta” (newness) to the party.
He recalled the contribution of party workers who had struggled to bring the party where it is today, including those who lost their lives in the process. He named two of the Opposition states going to the polls, Kerala and West Bengal, in the context of political violence, adding that BJP workers there were not afraid despite the challenges they faced. He acknowledged the contribution of the RSS to the party, saying the “vat vriksh” (banyan tree) of the Sangh remained an inspiration for BJP workers as they struggled through decades.
He recalled the “atrocities of the Emergency” and the “conspiracies of Congress” to make BJP politically untouchable, but said these did not deter BJP workers. “We have taken up the principle of nation-first and made it our identity in politics,” Modi said, also commending BJP for establishing new ideals of coalition politics.
“Today NDA is more than 25 years old. Its expansion shows the BJP as inclusive and also sensitive towards regional aspirations,” he said.
Vikas Pathak is deputy associate editor with The Indian Express and writes on national politics. He has over 17 years of experience, and has worked earlier with The Hindustan Times and The Hindu, among other publications. He has covered the national BJP, some key central ministries and Parliament for years, and has covered the 2009 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls and many state assembly polls. He has interviewed many Union ministers and Chief Ministers. Vikas has taught as a full-time faculty member at Asian College of Journalism, Chennai; Symbiosis International University, Pune; Jio Institute, Navi Mumbai; and as a guest professor at Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi. Vikas has authored a book, Contesting Nationalisms: Hinduism, Secularism and Untouchability in Colonial Punjab (Primus, 2018), which has been widely reviewed by top academic journals and leading newspapers. He did his PhD, M Phil and MA from JNU, New Delhi, was Student of the Year (2005-06) at ACJ and gold medalist from University Rajasthan College in Jaipur in graduation. He has been invited to top academic institutions like JNU, St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and IIT Delhi as a guest speaker/panellist. ... Read More
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