Set Aside Differences For Development: Prime Minister Modi At Aligarh Muslim University
Modi was the first prime minister to participate in an AMU event after Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1964.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said ideological and political differences should be set aside for the sake of development and that nobody will be left behind in because of their religion.
"Politics can wait, society can wait. But the country's development cannot wait," he said at the centenary celebrations of Aligarh Muslim University, which he called mini-India and lauded for its diversity.
Modi said India is now moving on a path where people would get the benefits of development without any bias, and where they are assured of their constitutional rights.
The PM's address also comes against the backdrop of protests by AMU student groups over issues like the new Citizenship Amendment Act, and the targeting of the campus by some Bharatiya Janata Party leaders.
The country today is moving on a path where nobody should be left behind because of their religion, he said. He said the government's welfare scheme have benefitted everyone without discrimination, following the Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas motto.
In the address delivered through video conference, he said development should not be seen through the prism of politics. "We have to understand that politics is an important aspect of society. But in society there are also issues other than politics."
He released a postage stamp commemorating 100 years of AMU.
Modi listed economic development, education, standard of living and 'rashtravaad' (nationalism) among the common goals.
This was the first time in over five decades that a prime minister participated in an AMU event, after Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1964.
Earlier, Jawaharlal Nehru visited the campus four times, beginning with 1948 when an honorary doctorate was conferred on him at the annual convocation. This was followed by visits in 1955, 1960 and 1963.