PM Modi’s vision changing the country, it’s what drew me to BJP: Jaishankar

This was Jaishankar’s first public address after joining the BJP and being elected to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat Friday.

Jaishankar served as an Indian Foreign Services officer for 40 years before joining the BJP. “I was an ambassador in foreign countries and was also foreign secretary. During that period…some countries, which were at par with us 20 years ago, have gone ahead of us,” he said citing China as an example.

Concerned why India couldn’t progress in the same way, he said there were two reasons: “One was lack of vision. (The other) — we did not have the commitment that other countries have. And today, I can say that both (aspects) are changing” with the vision of new India put forward by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Countries that have progressed are those where all citizens believe it is their responsibility to take the nation forward. “And it is possible only when we all think that we have participation in public issues,” he said.

The minister said the results of the Lok Sabha elections, which brought the BJP back to power with a huge majority, reflected the belief in the change India has undergone in the past five years. “People expectations’ have risen, and foreign policy can make a big contribution to it (fulfilling the expectations),” the external affairs minister said. “If we want to prosper further, then our partnership with outside (foreign countries), the technology that we can get, the investment that we can bring in and the support we can give to our people in the world can have a big impact. Add to it, if we can work together, our country can reach a new level.”

Jaishankar said that India had one weakness — internal disputes — and others have taken advantage of it. “So the more we promote nationalism, especially when we face the challenge of terrorism, the more it can enhance our national security,” he said. “And for that leadership is required, for that we require firmness, which you have seen in the past few years, which was lacking earlier.”

Speaking about the membership drive, he said, “There are many people whom we should bring to the party. And I believe that if a person like me feels proud to be associated with the party, then there must be many such people. The more we broaden the base of the party, it will benefit not only the BJP, but also the country.”

Speaking on the occasion, Rupani paid tribute to the first president of the BJP Shyamaprasad Mukerjee on his 118th birth anniversary Saturday. For the BJP, he said that unlike the Opposition Congress, the power to govern is an instrument to serve the people of the country.

Calling upon the party workers to add maximum members to the party where even a “chaiwala can become a prime minister and a booth-level worker can become the national president” unlike the Congress where the top leadership stays within a family, Rupani said, “This is not a party of a family. This is a party of workers.”

He also stressed on the spirit of the BJP to continue working and not resting on its laurels after its massive election victory. The membership drive thus is just one more “celebration” after the election celebration, he said, adding, “Vijay sahi, vishram nahi (Victory is there, but not to relax).”

Rupani also insisted that the membership drive should be an inclusive one. “Not a single community should be left out…We must take initiative and reach out to people,” he said.

“This is a stream of (river) Ganga. From Gangotri, the divine stream goes forward. It proceeds while taking everyone along. A number of rivers join it. And by adding people (figuratively) thus, the stream makes such progress that even if stones come in the way, they become ‘shaligram’ by the time it reaches Haridwar.”

With the slogan ‘Sarva Vyapi, Sarva Sparshi’, the Gujarat BJP’s membership drive aims at adding 56.5 lakh more members to the party. Convener of the campaign in Gujarat, Bhargav Bhatt, said that currently Gujarat BJP has 1.13 crore members.