‘Welfare State should be Ram Rajya’: When Modi invoked Gandhi in Ayodhya in 2014 poll speech

Ahead of Ram Temple’s consecration, Modi’s Saturday visit to Ayodhya is his fourth visit since he became PM; he visited the district earlier during 2019 LS polls, 2020 Temple foundation laying ceremony and 2022 Deepotsav event

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occassion of Deepawali in Ayodhya on October 23, 2022 (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on Saturday set to inaugurate in Ayodhya several infrastructure projects, including a new international airport and a revamped railway station.

This will be Modi’s fourth visit to the district of Ayodhya since he became the Prime Minister in May 2014. He has visited the district during the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 and to attend the foundation laying ceremony of the Ram Temple in 2020 and a Deepotsav programme in 2022.

PM Modi will again visit Ayodhya for the idol consecration at the Ram Temple on January 22, which would take the number of his visits to the district to five. That would be perhaps the highest number of visits by any Prime Minister to Ayodhya.

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Before taking over as the PM, Modi had addressed rallies in Ayodhya during the 2009 and 2014 Lok Sabha elections. In 2014, he addressed a rally as the BJP’s PM candidate there.

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Addressing the Bharat Vijay Rally in Faizabad on May 5, 2014, Modi began his speech by invoking Mahatma Gandhi and spoke about his concept of Ram Rajya.

“Jab log Mahatma Gandhi ko puchha karte the ki raj kaisa hona chahiye… to Mahatma Gandhi ek shabd me samjha dete the ki agar kalyankari rajya ki kalpana karni hai to Ram Rajya hona chahiye. (When people used to ask Mahatma Gandhi about what kind of rule should be, Mahatma Gandhi would explain it in only one phrase that if we think about Welfare State then it should be Ram Rajya),” Modi had said. “Where all are happy and no one is sad,” he had further said, speaking about the Ram Rajya.

Speaking at a rally after the Deepotsav function in Ayodhya on October 23, 2022, PM Modi said, “Ram embodies the spirit of India, which believes that our rights are realised through our duties. Therefore, we should be committed towards our duties. And see the coincidence, the original copy of our Constitution on which the picture of Lord Ram, Mother Sita and Lakshman ji is inscribed, that page of the Constitution also talks about fundamental rights. That is, there is guarantee of our Constitutional rights on the one hand, while at the same time there is eternal cultural realisation of duties in the form of Lord Ram! Therefore, the more we strengthen our resolve towards duties, the more the concept of a ‘Ram Rajya’ will become a reality.”

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Modi also said, “It is the duty of all of us to follow the ideals of Lord Ram. We have to practise his ideals and make them part of our life.”

Harikishan Sharma

Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister’s Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled "STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING," which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society. ... Read More

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