Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday attended the closing ceremony of the Gita Press centenary celebrations in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur. Addressing the public gathering, PM Modi stated: "Gita Press is the only printing press in the world which is not just an organisation, but a living faith. It is no less than a temple for crores of people," news agency ANI reported.
Gita Press, founded in 1923, is one of the world's largest publishers, with 417 million volumes released in 14 languages, including 162 million copies of the Shrimad Bhagvad Gita.
The prime minister emphasised Gita Press's contributions, stating that Mahatma Gandhi had an affiliation with it and used to write for Kalyan magazine.
Speaking about the Gandhi Peace Prize, PM Modi said: "On the occasion of Gita Press completing its 100 years, our government has conferred Gita Press with Gandhi Peace Prize. Gandhi Ji was emotionally attached to Gita Press. He once used to write for Gita Press through Kalyan Patrika."
He further stated: "The spiritual light that illuminated here in the form of Gita Press in 1923, today its light is guiding the entire humanity...100 years ago the colonial forces exploited India...our Gurukuls were destroyed. When our printing press was not able to reach every citizen due to its high cost...Gita Press became the guiding force...We all are blessed to witness this organisation's centenary celebrations."
He stated that the dream of a great Ram temple in Ayodhya will be fulfiled after decades. He also mentioned the revised navy symbol, which was based on a banner of Maratha monarch Shivaji.
At the ceremony, PM Modi stated that the customs of India are now getting the attention they deserve. He furter said that this is the time when one should be "free from the mentality of slavery and take pride in our heritage."
Speaking at the ceremony, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated: "Gita Press has completed its 100 years, but none of the prime ministers visited it in the last 75 years. This new India is following the footsteps of PM Modi and his vision to establish India as one of the biggest powers in the world."
The Prime Minister's visit comes nearly three weeks after the Union government decided to award the Gandhi Peace Prize to the publisher in recognition of its "outstanding contribution towards social, economic, and political transformation through nonviolent and other Gandhian methods."
Soon after the announcement, Congress reacted angrily, labelling the move a "travesty" and comparing it to honouring Hindutva philosopher V D Savarkar and Gandhi's murderer Nathuram Godse. “The Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021 has been conferred on the Gita Press... There is a very fine biography from 2015 of this organisation by Akshaya Mukul in which he unearths the stormy relations it had with the Mahatma and the running battles it carried on with him on his political, religious & social agenda. The decision is really a travesty and is like awarding Savarkar and Godse,” senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted on June 19.
The Prime Minister had earlier addressed a Vijay Sankalp Rally in Raipur. Speaking in the poll-bound state, he escalated his attack on the Congress party, claiming that those tainted by corruption are attempting to sew together an Opposition Unity.
"Those stained are trying to come together today. Those who used to curse each other, they have now started finding excuses to come together," PM Modi had said.