Govt for strong, safe, all-inclusive India: Kovind

Declaring the government's resolve of making a "strong, safe, prosperous and all-inclusive" India, President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday said it was working with a spirit of "Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas Aur Sabka Vishwas" (with all, for all, with everyone's trust).

"My government is committed to that very idea of nation-building, the foundation for which was laid in 2014. While fulfilling the basic needs of the countrymen, now the government is moving forward towards realising their aspirations of building a strong, safe, prosperous and all-inclusive India," he said in his customary address to a joint sitting of Parliament.

This journey, he said, is inspired by the basic spirit of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas Aur Sabka Vishwas'.

Kovind quoted from the sayings of Kerala's noted spiritual leader Narayana Guru to assert that the government is committed to making India a place where people can "live like brothers free from the discrimination of caste and religion".

Kovind said that the people's massive mandate to the government is an affirmation of their faith in it and that it would continue to lead the nation at an "accelerated pace the journey of development" which started with NDA government's first tenure.

"After assessing the performance of the government during the first tenure, the people have given even stronger support for the second term. By doing so, the people of the country have given a mandate for continuing uninterrupted and at an accelerated pace the journey of development which started in 2014," he said.

The President referred to the "atmosphere" that prevailed before 2014 and said that the BJP-led NDA got a clear majority then to take the country out of a "sense of gloom and instability".

"All fellow countrymen are familiar with the atmosphere prevailing in the country before 2014. Giving the highest regard to that mandate, my government started to march forward without any discrimination with the mantra of 'Sabka Saath- Sabka Vikas', to create a New India," he said.

The Parliament's Budget Session, which began Monday, will continue till July 26. The Economic Survey will be presented on July 4 followed by the Union Budget for 2019-20 on July 5.