VARANASI: PM Narendra Modi said here on Sunday that steps like nullification of Article 370 or promulgation of Citizenship Amendment Act ( CAA ) were taken in national interest and despite all-round pressure, his government would steadfastly stand by these decisions. On the proposed Ram mandir in Ayodhya, he said the 67-acre land acquired by the government around the site would be transferred to the newly formed trust to pave way for a grand temple.Addressing a public meeting after unveiling RSS ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyaya’s 63-foot statue in his Lok Sabha constituency, Modi said: “With Lord Mahadev’s blessings, the country is taking decisions on issues which were earlier left in limbo. Be it the decision to remove Article 370 from J&K or bringing CAA, the country had been waiting for these for years. Deshhit mein yeh faisle zaroori they aur duniya bhar ke tamam dabawon ke bawjood hum in faislon par kayam hain aur kayam rahenge (These decisions were necessary in national interest and despite pressures from all sides, we are firm and will remain firm on them).”He also inaugurated 36 projects and laid foundation for 14 new projects worth Rs 1,254 crore, emphasising that his government was committed to the uplift of people on the “last rung” of the society. He said people remained on the “akhiri paydaan” (last rung) for a long period after independence because resolving their issues didn’t bring any political gains. “Keeping their problems unresolved did. But we are giving top priority to the people on the last rung,” he added. Be it the beneficiaries of Ayushman or Ujjawala schemes, accident insurance or old age pension, they all belong to the lowest strata of the society, Modi elaborated.Earlier in the day, he said: “The government has taken another big decision related to the Ram temple. The 67-acre land acquired under the Ayodhya law will be transferred in its entirety to the newly formed Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.” The Centre had acquired 67-acre land around the temple site in 1991. The SC had directed that the land would remain with the Centre until the resolution of the Ayodhya dispute. The Prime Minister also said that in India, the meaning of ‘nation’ had never meant who won, and who lost where. “The nation here has been created not by power, but by culture and values, by the ability of the people living here. He said that the country is formed not just by the government but by the values of every citizen. A citizen’s sense of duty makes his values supreme. Our conduct as a citizen will determine the direction of new India,” he said.He also highlighted people’s role in nation building. “If there is an unprecedented improvement in Ganga water in the past five-six years, public participation has played a key role. The sense of faith and responsibility towards Maa Ganga is at an unprecedented level today. Work on projects worth Rs 7,000 crore has been completed under Namami Gange campaign. Work is in progress on projects worth more than Rs 21,000 crore. We are trying to complete the ongoing projects on which work is going on very fast,” he said.The Prime Minister flagged off IRCTC’s ‘MahaKaal Express’ through video link during his day-long visit to the city. It will be the first overnight private train in the country to connect three Jyotirling pilgrim centres of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, and Ujjain and Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh