Indian PM Modi Urges Political Unity Against 'Enemies of the Country'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged political parties to unite in the national interest and called on citizens to identify and defeat what he described as the “enemies of the country”, as the government seeks to build consensus for the passage of the delimitation-linked Women's Reservation Bill. Addressing Vijayadashami celebrations at the DDA Utsav Ground in IP Extension, New Delhi, Modi also urged people to follow the motto of “Nation First”, saying forces that harm the country, divide society and oppose its cultural values must be resisted. “The forces that inflict harm on the country, the people who divide society and the mindset that hates our culture, all these are the enemies of the nation,” he said. The Prime Minister's appeal for political unity comes amid the government's efforts to secure support for legislation linking the implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies to delimitation. It also comes against the backdrop of opposition protests over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The BJP has accused those behind the protests of attempting to spread anarchy in the country. Modi said all national institutions and political parties must stand together in the national interest, stressing the need for collective action to fulfil people's aspirations. Citing a Sanskrit shloka, he said, “May our thoughts be aligned; may all the institutions of the nation, all political parties, stand together for national interests. We must proceed with this very spirit and we must fight together against the enemies of the country.”