New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at the BJP parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday, urged BJP MPs to plan programmes that would keep “nationalist and patriotic fervour” alive. He also reminded the MPs about the success of the ‘Tiranga Yatra’, held between August 15 and August 22 last year, and asked them to hold similar programmes between August 9, the anniversary of the Quit India movement, and August 15, Indian Express reported.

After the meeting, parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar told reporters that Modi also asked lawmakers to take up the three causes of welfare of the poor, social harmony and good governance to “improve the life of the common man”. He asked them to hold 15-day long ‘samkalp yatra‘, starting on Independence Day, so as to ensure “better quality of life for people in all parts of the country by 2022 when the country would celebrate 75 years of freedom,” Kumar said. Modi asked them to take a pledge and to administer a pledge to citizens, promising to do what they can to better the society, according to Kumar.

Modi added that President Ram Nath Kovind’s swearing-in was a “significant milestone” in the journey started by BJP’s ideologue Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. “The journey, which was started by Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and during which many lakh of people sacrificed everything, has reached a significant milestone today as the new president takes oath,” Modi told party MPs, a BJP leader present in the meeting said. Kovind is the first BJP leader to occupy the highest constitutional position and the president’s Dalit identity has repeatedly been underlined by the party.

At the meeting, Modi expressed unhappiness over the absence of party MPs from the two houses of parliament during its proceedings. He asked MPs to ensure their presence as the Rajya Sabha was adjourned last week due to the lack of quorum. Modi also asked them to ensure their presence in the vice-presidential poll on August 5 and avoid mistakes which might make their votes invalid.

(With PTI inputs)