Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that India is the mother of democracy and the citizens should be proud as the nation is leading the world's largest Covid-19 vaccination drive.
In reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address, PM Modi said, "Our democracy is not a western institution. It's a human institution. India's history is filled with examples of democratic institutions. We find mention of 81 democracies in ancient India. Today it's essential to warn citizens about the attacks on India's nationalism".
He added, "The eyes of the world are on India. There are expectations from India and there is confidence that India will contribute to the betterment of our planet."
"India has seen days when there was a large threat of polio, smallpox. Nobody knew whether India will get a vaccine or how many people will get it. From those days, we're now here, when our nation is making vaccines for the world. This increases our self-confidence."
Lauding the country's efforts to combat Covid-19, the prime minister said, "Countries proudly say that they have India's Covid-19 vaccine".
In his reply to the 15-hour-long debate on the President's Address in the Rajya Sabha, the Prime Minister said, "Over 50 MPs expressed their views for over 13 hours, they expressed their invaluable views. So, I express my gratitude to all the MPs."
"India is truly a land of opportunities. Several opportunities are awaiting us, so a nation which is young, full of enthusiasm and a nation that is making efforts to realise the dreams, with a resolve, will never let these opportunities simply pass by," he added.
More to follow...