One nation, one poll key to make India great, says PM during I-Day speech

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday made a fresh pitch for holding simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls, saying the concept of one nation, one election is imperative to make the country great.

During his address to the nation on the 73rd Independence Day, he said, India is talking about simultaneous polls which is a good thing. Last August, the Law Commission had recommended holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies to save public money.

We neither nurse problems, nor keep them pending: PM

Modi asserted that his government neither nurses problems nor keeps them pending and referred to the scrapping of special status to Jammu and Kashmir, saying India now is one nation with one constitution.

He said that within 10 weeks of assuming power, his government has taken key decisions such as bringing a new law to ban the practice of instant triple talaq and scrapping provisions of Article 370 related to Jammu and Kashmir.

“Our government does not delay decisions. We neither nurse problems nor keep them pending,” he said while referring to Article 370. Previous governments made efforts in the past 70 years to deal with Kashmir, but it did not bear results, he said, adding “a new approach was needed.”

Also read: As India turns 73, Modi delivers his sixth straight Independence Day speech

He said that every effort being made to remove corruption and black money was welcome and added that these are “menaces” that have ruined India for 70 years. Advocating the principle of minimum government and maximum governance, the PM said that the government should have a minimal role in people’s lives.

“Let our people have the freedom of pursuing their own aspirations, let the right eco-system be made in this regard,” he said.

Creation of Chief of Defence Staff

Modi also announced that the country will now have a Chief of Defence Staff to ensure better coordination and provide effective leadership to the three defence services – Army, Navy, and Air Force.

“Our security forces are our pride. To further enhance coordination between our forces, I announce a big decision today. India will now have a Chief of Defence Staff- CDS. This is going to make the forces even more strong,” he said.

Although this is a new development, the creation of a CDS has been sought for the past 20 years after the Kargil War in 1999.

Population explosion a problem, says PM

Referring to the issue of population explosion, Modi said that it led to many difficulties. “We have to be concerned about the population explosion. The Centre, as well as state governments, should launch schemes to tackle it,” he said.

He added that his government has dedicated itself on all fronts in the service of countrymen. “The spirit of one nation, one constitution has become a reality now. And India is proud of it,” he said.