People coming together for creation of new India: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the country's people are coming together to create a "new India" and stressed that people's power is more important than government power.

"New India is not about 'upkaar' but about 'avsar'. It is about opportunity for all."

A fast pace of development cannot be attained unless all 125 crore Indians come together, he said at the India Today Conclave here.

The Prime Minister said the Goods and Services Tax regime, set to be rolled out from July 1, is an example of "deliberative democracy".

Modi did not mention the February-March assembly polls on a day when a Bharatiya Janata Party Chief Minister took oath in Uttarakhand and the party announced its Chief Minister for Uttar Pradesh.

However, he talked of the "mood of people" post November 8 demonetisation.

"After Diwali, we took a step against black money and corruption... you have seen the mood of the people after that," Modi said.

"It feels as if people have come together during war, or a natural calamity; today, we can see people are uniting on these issues," he said, referring to government steps like the 'Swachh Bharat' Mission and giving up cooking gas subsidy.

"There are many people who have failed in understanding this, or even touching it. People are coming together. For what? To end evil and shortcomings within themselves. The dreams of a new India are imbibed in this," he said.

--IANS

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