New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday described the invitation to the Saarc leaders for his swearing-in as a “right decision at the right time”, and said his first major foreign policy initiative had sent out a message to the world about India’s strength.
He said that the world was still talking about this diplomatic initiative. Mr Modi said that the world should realise the strength of India’s democracy so that the country gets its due respect and status.
Mr Modi was speaking at the BJP’s 11 Ashoka Road headquarters here, where he had gone to thank party workers for their contribution to the party’s sweeping victory in the Lok Sabha elections.
This was his first visit to the party HQ after becoming Prime Minister. Lauding party workers, Mr Modi said that he had come to seek “new energy and inspiration”. He described the party’s victory as a “turning point” in the 21st century and said it was a “vote for hope”.
Mr Modi had gone with home minister Rajnath Singh and health minister Harsh Vardhan to the party HQ. Mr Modi also met Kashi Ram, one of the party’s oldest workers, who was associated with it since the Jan Sangh days.
The BJP is planning to reward all its office staff with an incentive, or bonus, equivalent to three months’ salary in recognition of their hard work that led to the victory.
Enunciating his foreign policy approach, Mr Modi said: “We have never thought beyond the country’s frontiers. We are a big country, we are an old country, we are a big power. We should make the world realise it. Once we do it, the world will not shy away from giving us due respect and status.”
