Rishikesh, Oct 7 — Swami Chidanand Saraswati on Wednesday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 25-year journey in public life, saying his biggest strength was his ability to regard the entire nation as his family and that his tenure had given fresh impetus to the ideals of service, good governance and nation-building.
Welcoming the Seva Jyoti Yatra, Swami Saraswati said the Prime Minister's 25-year public journey would find a place in history, adding that while many leaders are mentioned in history books, some "etch their own history", with PM Modi being one such leader.
He added that PM Modi's public life began in Gujarat with the objective of building a developed India, but that his vision had since expanded to include global peace and the welfare of humanity.
According to Swami Saraswati, PM Modi's decisions, goals and achievements had been driven by what he described as the national interest and the welfare of the country.
He said the Prime Minister had combined intelligence with patience while motivating Indians to believe that they could achieve ambitious goals and that India could lead the world.
"The world today observes India through India's perspective," he said, highlighting what he described as major milestones of the past 25 years -- "from development and heritage to chips and ships, Surya Namaskar and Chandrayaan, science and spirituality, the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and Kashi Vishwanath, and the Kedarnath Corridor and Mahakal Corridor".
Swami Saraswati also cited several decisions and initiatives during PM Modi's tenure, including Demonetisation, surgical strikes, the Balakot air strikes, abrogation of Article 370, the law against triple talaq, the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, Digital India, UPI, the G20 presidency, efforts to strengthen the Global South, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and Atmanirbhar Bharat.
He said that PM Modi had faced criticism and negative narratives during his political journey but had nevertheless influenced India's direction and "destiny".
Swami Saraswati said the Prime Minister had encouraged Indians to believe that the country could not only determine its own path but also contribute to shaping the path of the wider world.
He also praised PM Modi for respecting political figures across ideological divides, citing the Bharat Ratna conferred upon former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao as an example of his understanding and depth.