Naxalism vanishing from jungles, but taking root in urban centres: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said Naxalism was being wiped out from the jungles but expressed concern that it was fast spreading roots in urban areas with some political parties also echoing their ideologyAddressing the Republic Plenary Summit organised by a news channel Modi also targeted the Congress saying it had crushed the aspirations of people who also stopped expecting much from the partyHe said things have now changed and the peoples aspirations were rising in the past decade since his government came to powerTodays India thinks big sets big targets and delivers big results It is because the mentality of the country has changed The country is moving ahead with big aspirations Modi saidThe prime minister said the government has worked hard on the security front and terror attacks and sleeper cells of terrorists have disappeared from television headlines as well as the countryNaxalism in the country is also on its last legs In the past over 100 districts were severely affected by this menace However this number has drastically reduced to just around two dozen districts today Modi saidHe said this was made possible after the government focused on delivering governance at the grassroots levelWhile Naxalism is steadily being eradicated from jungles due to decisive actions it is beginning to spread its roots into urban centres presenting a new challenge Modi saidUrban Naxals have cast their net so fast that a political party that opposed urban Naxals was inspired by the thoughts of Gandhiji and had its pulse on the people was now echoing their views he saidUrban Naxals have entrenched themselves in such political parties Today we can hear the voice of urban Naxals in these political parties We can imagine how deep their roots go Modi said in an apparent reference to the Congress partyWe have to remember that urban Naxals are strongly opposed to our development and heritage he saidThe prime minister said both development and preservation of heritage were necessary for a developed India We have to guard against urban NaxalsModi said the Congress had trampled the aspirations of the people who had stopped expecting from it But in the last 10 years the aspirations of the people have increased he saidHe also said that the country has come out of the stereotype that it will sink and take the world down with it and today Indias achievements and successes have sparked a new wave of hope across the globeThe prime minister said that in the last decade India has become the fifth largest economy of the world and will soon become the third largestHe noted that after 65 years of Independence India was the 11th largest economy in the worldAsserting that India is driving global growth today he said the countrys achievements and successes have given new hope across the world From toys to weapons India has become selfreliant in the past 10 years and has turned into an exporter from an importerThe prime minister pointed out that in 2007 some 18 years ago Indias annual GDP stood at Rs 1 lakh crore representing the total economic activity for an entire yearBut now the same level of activity is achieved within just a single quarter This remarkable transformation highlights the rapid pace of economic growth in presentday India he assertedReferring to parliamentary debates he said opposition members ask why PM Modi is not doing certain things which indicates that they too think that Modi can doThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever