PM Modi said Our festivals are educational... we can change us when required.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today urged people to celebrate the girl child this Diwali while inaugurating a Dussehra function at Delhi's Dwarka. "Lakshmi in our house. In Mann ki Baat, I had said Lakshmi is in house, our area... our daughters are manifestations of Lakshmi," the Prime Minister said in his address.

"On this Diwali, all daughters should be worshipped and respected... Continuing with spirit of Navratra, let us work towards furthering empowerment and dignity of women," added the Prime Minister, who has adopted "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (Save the girl child, educate her) as one of the key programmes of his government.

In his address today, PM Modi said "Our festivals are educational... we can change us when required... because in our society, we have people fighting against evil". It is also important to "fight evil within ourselves", he added.

Earlier today, greeting the nation on the occasion of Vijayadashami, PM Modi had tweeted:

May the blessings of Prabhu Shri Ram always remain upon us.



May the power of truth, goodness and compassion always prevail.



May evil be eliminated.



Jai Shri Ram! ???????? pic.twitter.com/OCZOLsX7ug — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 8, 2019

Dussehra, which marks the victory of Lord Ram over the demon king Ravan in the epic Ramayana, has traditionally been the occasion for social and political messages.

In her message today, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi said the day underlines that arrogance and injustice, even by the most powerful, is ultimately defeated.

"After days of fasting and worship, the festivities of Dussehra signify the victory of truth over untruth, virtue over vice and good over evil and give us the message of goodness, modesty, moderation and the holy and unassailable position of women, Sonia Gandhi said.

"Vijayadashmi also underlines that arrogance and injustice, even of the most powerful is ultimately defeated," she added.