One Nation One Election, Uniform Civil Code soon: PM on Unity Day in Gujarat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid floral tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on the latter's 149th birth anniversary at the Statue of Unity in Gujarat.

In Short

• PM Modi pays tribute to Sardar Patel on birth anniversary in Gujarat
• Says Article 370 "buried forever"
• Highlights India's growth, importance on the international stage

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid floral tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 149th birth anniversary at the Statue of Unity in Gujarat.

A mega event was held for the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations, which is celebrated commemorating the birth anniversary of Patel every year on October 31. PM Modi is on his two-day visit to Gujarat.

Visuals showed the Prime Minister attending the Unity of Parade Ground in Kevadia, Gujarat.

"This time the National Unity Day has brought a wonderful coincidence. On one hand, today we are celebrating the festival of unity and on the other hand, it is also the festival of Deepawali," PM Modi said.

He further said that the festival of lights not only "illuminates the country" but has also started connecting India with the rest of the world. His remark came a day after US President Joe Biden celebrated Diwali at the White House on Wednesday with more than 600 eminent Indian Americans in attendance.

"It (Diwali) is being celebrated as a national festival in many countries," he said.

'One Nation, One Election' to become a reality soon, says PM Modi

The Prime Minister reiterated that the Centre's 'One Nation, One Election' proposal, which aims to synchronise all elections in the country either on a single day or within a specific time frame, will be cleared soon and will become a reality.

The proposal was cleared by the cabinet earlier this year and will be presented before the Winter Session of Parliament later this year.

"We are now working towards 'One Nation One Election', which will strengthen India's democracy, give the optimum outcome of India's resources and the country will gain new momentum in achieving the dream of a developed India. Today, India is moving towards 'One Nation One Civil Code', which is a secular civil code," he said.

ARTICLE 370 BURIED FOREVER

The PM spoke about the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, saying it has been "buried forever". He took a dig at the opposition, saying that those who preach the Constitution insult it the most.

He said that the resolution of having one Constitution in the country was fulfilled 70 years after India got independence.

"This is my biggest tribute to Sardar Saheb. For 70 years, Baba Saheb Ambedkar's Constitution was not implemented in the entire country. Those who chant the name of the Constitution have insulted it so much. The reason was the wall of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. Article 370 has been buried forever," he said.

INDIA ELIMINATED THREATS TO NATIONAL SECURITY

PM Modi said several threats to national security have been eliminated in the last 10 years of his government's rule in the country. "Terrorists' 'masters' now know that harming India won't yield results, as India won't spare them," he said.

The Prime Minister claimed that issues bothering the northeastern areas of the country have been reoslved through "dialogue, trust and development".

"The Bodo and Bru-Reang agreements have established peace and stability. The National Liberation Front of Tripura's accord has ended long-standing unrest. India is moving forward with peace, development, and prosperity. We have resolved the border dispute between Assam and Meghalaya to a large extent," he said.

COUNTRIES GETTING CLOSER TO INDIA AMID ONGOING CONFLICTS

PM Narendra Modi said countries are creating close associations with India despite other countries being distanced from one another due to ongoing conflicts.

Calling Indians "sensitive and alert", PM Modi said that the citizens know the importance of both strength and peace.

"It is not normal for India to emerge as a vishwabandhu when there is a crisis of relations in different countries of the world. When the distance between one country and another is increasing in the world, then the countries of the world are getting closer to India. This is not normal, this is a new history being created. Today, the world is seeing how India is solving its problems with determination," he said.