4 biggest 'castes' for me are poor, youth, women, farmers, says PM

New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted on Thursday that his work in the last 10 years has led to people having immense confidence in his government as he faulted past dispensations for acting like "mai baap" of citizens, with vote bank considerations guiding their development initiatives.

In his address to beneficiaries of different schemes as part of the government's Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra for saturation coverage of welfare schemes, he said four biggest "castes" for him are the poor, youth, women, farmers, and their rise will make India developed. The yatra, under which government 'raths' (chariots) are travelling to all corners, has generated huge enthusiasm among people with some describing the vehicles as "Modi ki guarantee wali gaadi" (vehicles carrying Modi's guarantees), the prime minister said, asserting that the masses know that he will fulfil all his promises.

For this he needs their blessings, he said, underscoring that the programme will identify everyone left out of welfare schemes aimed for them and that he will ensure their saturation coverage in the coming years. A voice is emerging from people across the country that Modi's guarantee begins from where people's expectations from others end, he said.

In his remarks after interacting with the beneficiaries, Modi said Bharat is neither going to stop nor tire as the people have resolved to make the country developed. "In various corners of the country there is such enthusiasm for the yatra and there is a reason for it, as people have seen Modi, his work, in the last 10 years and therefore, they have immense confidence in the government and its efforts."

"People have also seen that period when past governments used to consider themselves 'mai-baap' of the people. Therefore, even after decades of independence, a big portion of the population was deprived of basic facilities," Modi said.