New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a warm welcome as he arrived in Ahmedabad on Tuesday evening on a two-day visit to Gujarat.
In a video shared by news agency ANI, PM Modi was seen waving at the people as he arrived to attend the Nari Shakti Vandan - Abhinandan event in Ahmedabad. He was accompanied by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
While addressing the event, Modi mentioned the recently passed Women's Reservation Bill, calling it 'Modi's guarantee.'
"The ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ (Women's Reservation Bill), which gives representation to women in the state assemblies and Lok Sabha, is Modi’s guarantee,” he said.
Some opposition parties tried to oppose it by raising questions, but they were compelled to vote for it in Parliament, he said, speaking before a large gathering of women at the Ahmedabad airport.
"Those who kept delaying the women's reservation bill for decades have now supported the bill in Parliament out of compulsion, as they were afraid of you. Your strength compelled them to support the bill," he said.
He further stated, "'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ is the guarantee of the rights of my sisters, it is the guarantee of fulfilment of my sisters' dreams, it is a recognition of the capability of women and it is also a guarantee of a developed India."
"In the last 9 years, from birth to old age, we worked to make women's lives better. We had various social stigmas from female infanticide to girls' illiteracy. We started the 'Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao' campaign. We can say proudly that there has been an improvement in the male-to-female sex ratio," he added.
"There is more interest in the savings from 'Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana'. Doors are open for our daughters from the Army to mining. This has given a sense of self-confidence to women," he noted.
During his two-day visit, Modi will also participate in a programme marking the completion of 20 years of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit and lay the foundation stone of projects worth crores of rupees.
On Thursday, around 10 am, the prime minister will participate in the programme, a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said. The event will witness participation of industry associations, prominent personalities from the areas of trade and commerce, young entrepreneurs and students of higher and technical education colleges among others.
After that, around 12:45 pm, he will reach Bodeli in Chhotaudepur where he will dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone of projects worth more than Rs 5,200 crore.
The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit started in 2003 when Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat.