I bow to people who uphold Constitution: PM Modi

Modi sends video message for 50th anniversary of Thuglak magazine

Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu and actor Rajinikanth releasing a souvenir of Thuglak magazine. S.R. Raghunathan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he bowed to the people of India who had, time and again, upheld the Constitution in letter and in spirit.

In a video message for the 50th anniversary event of Thuglak magazine in Chennai, Mr. Modi said, “I have always believed that there are two essential reasons that our great civilisation has prospered – India’s celebration of harmony, diversity and brotherhood, and the will and zeal of India’s people.”

“Whenever the people of India have decided to do something, no force has been able to stop them. My last five years in government have validated this belief. We have made remarkable progress because the change has been powered by 130 crore Indians,” he added. According to him, the people of India no longer wanted to be spectators, but active stakeholders in taking the nation forward. “Why else would senior citizens give up railway concessions? Why else would over one crore people give up their gas subsidies?” he asked. He said those who had ruled the country for many years loved to keep things in “pendulum mode”; keep things unsettled; cause the problem, further it and pretend to solve it. “Things have changed now. Our government has taken up the mission of solving problems that have persisted for many decades. Removal of Articles 370 and 35A (special status for Jammu & Kashmir), abolition of triple talaq, making GST a reality, 10% reservation for the upper caste poor, increased maternity leave up to 26 weeks, setting up of OBC commission,” he said, listing the issues his government has tackled.

The PM said vested interests were trying to mislead the confused (people) and cause unrest.

Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu released a special issue of ‘Thuglak @50’. “Only recently, there were disturbances on the campuses of one or two universities. The media has a major responsibility in such situations to give a correct picture and not take stands or provide distorted information.”

Mr. Rajinikanth took a jibe at the DMK, saying, “Those who carry

Murasoli (DMK’s mouthpiece) can be immediately identified as DMK cadre. But those who carry

Thuglak can be identified as intelligent.”

S. Gurumurthy, editor, Thuglak, said Jawaharlal Nehru University’s DNA was against the nation, and it should either be reformed or shut down.