PM speaks about non-discrimination, equality at 'Diwali Milan'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met journalists at a 'Diwali Milan' programme hosted at the BJP headquarters here and said festivals like Diwali help infuse new energy in society.

"Through these festivals our ancestors tried to give new inspiration to the society. Deep Parva (Diwali) is also a part of it. There is no-discrimination in it and it also strengthens the value of equality," Modi said.

Modi's remark emphasising equality and non-discrimination came a day after his reach out to the opposition at the beginning of the winter session of parliament where some crucial bills are pending.

Union ministers Arun Jaitley, M. Venkaiah Naidu, Nitin Gadkari, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Nirmala Sitharaman, Smriti Irani and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including its president Amit Shah, were among those who attended the function.

Modi also said festivals were a big force in society and infuse it with new enthusiasm and energy.

Referring to the 'Kumbh Mela', he said the number of people visiting it in a day could be close to the population of a small European country.

He added that the system for the Kumbh was created by society and run by it and "this is big strength in itself". "There will be many interesting stories if one were to look at the socio-economic dimensions of these festivals."

Referring to the two-day special sitting of parliament to mark the 125th birth anniversary of Bhimrao Ambedkar, BJP chief Shah said it was a new attempt to emphasise the supremacy of the constitution.

He said efforts should be made to effectively take the importance of constitutional values to the people.

Shah said the event was being held after "sweet and sour" experiences over the past year.

Like last year, Modi stepped down from the podium to meet journalists. Security personnel had a tough time as there was a rush to get selfies and photographs with the prime minister.

--Indo-Asian News SErvice

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