PM Modi says he declined Trump's US invite to visit Odisha

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], June 21 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that he had politely declined an invitation from US President Donald Trump to visit the United States on his way back from Canada after the G7 Summit, choosing instead to travel to Odisha -- the "land of Lord Jagannath," which he called more important.
Speaking at an event in Bhubaneswar, where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of several development projects, the Prime Minister hailed the completion of one year of the first-ever BJP government in Odisha. He called it not just a political milestone, but "an anniversary of good governance and public trust."
"At a time when Odisha's BJP government is completing one year, the people of Odisha are preparing for the Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra. He is our 'prerna' inspiration and 'aaradhya' worship," PM Modi said.
"Just two days ago, I was in Canada for the G7 summit. During that time, US President Donald Trump called me and invited me with great insistence. I told the President of America, Thank you for the invitation, but it is important for me to go to the land of the Lord. So I politely declined his invitation. Your love has drawn me to the land of the Lord," he said.
According to a release from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), PM Modi also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth over Rs 18,600 crore covering critical sectors including drinking water, irrigation, agricultural infrastructure, health infrastructure, rural roads and bridges, sections of national highways, and a new railway line.
PM Modi remarked that June 20 is a very special day, marking the completion of one year of Odisha's first BJP government. "This anniversary is not merely that of a government, but of the establishment of good governance devoted to public service and public trust", said the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister also launched a blistering attack on the Congress, blaming it for decades of "developmental neglect, corruption, and misgovernance."
"After Independence, for decades, the people of the country saw the development model of the Congress party. Under their rule, there was no good governance, nor the people were happy. The development models of the Congress included latkana, bhatkana, ghangor corruption (stalling, misguiding and massive corruption)," he said.
Praising the BJP's governance, he said, "In the past years, in several states across the country, the BJP formed governments for the first time, ushering in not just a change of leadership but also the beginning of a new era of social and economic transformation."
"A decade ago, Assam faced significant challenges, including instability, separatist movements, and widespread violence. However, today, the state is firmly on the path to development. Decades of terrorist activities have come to an end, marking a strong step towards progress and stability," he added.
PM Modi lauded the health reforms in the state, citing the implementation of both the Centre's Ayushman Bharat and the state-run Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana, now covering nearly 3 crore people with free medical care.
He also highlighted BJP's success in curbing Naxalism and integrating tribal communities into the mainstream of development.
"For a long time, lakhs of poor families in Odisha were out of the Ayushman scheme. Today, both the Ayushman Bharat Jan Arogya Yojana of the Central Government and the Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana of the State Government are running here. Due to which around 3 crore people here are sure to get the benefit of free treatment," he said.
"Before 2014, more than 125 tribal districts of the country were in the grip of Naxalite violence. In the past years, we have worked to take the tribal society out of violence and put it on a new path of development," he added.
Adding further, he said, "A very large number of tribal community lives in Odisha, but unfortunately in the past they have only got neglected. The party which ruled the country for a long time used the tribals for its politics. These people neither gave development nor participation to the tribal society. These people pushed a large part of the country into the fire of Naxalism, violence and oppression."
Prime Minister Modi said that the BJP government has taken firm and decisive action against those involved in violence and has prioritized the development of tribal regions.
"With the current pace of efforts to combat this issue, the tribal community is on the path to being completely free from the grip of Naxalism. Naxalism will be eliminated, and it's a Modi's guarantee!" he added. (ANI)