Motihari,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday lashed out at the Opposition parties for their “divisive” politics, attributing it to their frustration at the NDA’s “pro-poor” policies.

Addressing volunteers of the Swachh Bharat Mission, the PM’s first public meeting after the stormy Budget session, Modi said:”They are having problem with our efforts to improve the poor and weaker sections of society.”

Lauding the Bihar government for pursuing all-round development policies, he said: “I appreciate the development works undertaken by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar despite disruptive efforts of some anti-social elements. But, the Centre fully backs the state government.”

Modi’s address to the volunteers, who have been named “Swachhgrahis”, marked the centenary celebrations of the Champaran Satyagraha movement started in north Bihar on April 10, 1917.

The event here was a culmination of a week-long “Champaran Chalo” campaign undertaken by Swachhgrahis from across the country. During the period, 10,000 of them from all parts of the country joined their local counterparts of Bihar. They all worked for cleanliness in 38 districts of the state.

As many as 20,000 volunteers took part in the gathering. Modi said large number of leaders and acolytes of Mahatma Gandhi had descended in Champaran to take part in his crusade. “The history has repeated itself as I see Gandhi and others in the Swachhgrahis,” he said.

Urging people to make the mission a peoples’ movement with slogan “Satyagrah se Swachhgrah” (from urge for truth to urge for cleanliness), he said the Centre would launch “Gram Swaraj Abhiyan” from April 14, the birth anniversary of Dalit icon BR Ambedkar.

He urged elected representatives to celebrate cleanliness through functions on occasions related to leaders such as social reformers and saints like Jyotirba Phule, another Dalit icon and Ambedkar.

He said the cleanliness drive has been a success, and called upon volunteers to involve all sections of the people in their respective states.

“Unity, peace and harmony in the polity will help the nation become strong and keep it on the fast track of progress,” he said.

Modi also laid foundation stones and inaugurated projects worth about Rs6,600 crore. It included flagging a new Champaran Humsafar Express to and from Katihar to Old Delhi railway station.

Lauding the cleanliness drive, Nitish praised Modi for implementing Gandhi’s dream to a satisfactory level.