Gandhinagar/IBNS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said some forces both inside and outside the country are worried about India's rise in the global map and hence they are in a bid to weaken the country.

Modi made the comment in his address from Gujarat on the occasion of the 149th birth anniversary of independence activist Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

The Prime Minister said, "There are some perverted forces which are worried about India's rise. There are a few forces both inside and outside India which are trying to create chaos and anarchy in the country. They are trying to hurt the economic health of the country and send a wrong message to the global investors. They are even targeting the Indian Army and running a misinformation campaign.

"They are trying to divide people on the basis of caste. They want to weaken India's society and unity. They don't want the country to be developed because the politics of weak and poor India suits them. This type of petty politics was run for five decades weakening the country. So they are trying to divide people in the name of the Constitution and democracy."

Modi on Article 370, J&K CM taking oath on Constitution

The Prime Minister said, "Today the whole country is happy that after seven decades of independence, the resolution of one country and one constitution has been fulfilled. This is my biggest tribute to Sardar Saheb.

"For 70 years, Baba Saheb Ambedkar's Constitution was not implemented in the entire country. Those who chant the name of the Constitution had insulted it so much. The reason was the wall of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir."

"Article 370 has been buried forever. For the first time, voting was done without discrimination in this assembly election. For the first time, the Chief Minister of that place has taken oath on the Constitution of India.

"This scene must have given immense satisfaction to the makers of the Indian Constitution, their souls must have found peace and this is our humble tribute to the makers of the Constitution," he added.

The Prime Minister in his speech also referred to militancy and North-East India.

"Terrorists' 'masters' now know that harming India won't yield results, as India won't spare them! The Northeast faced numerous challenges, but we have quenched the flames of separatism through dialogue, trust, and development.

"The Bodo and Bru-Reang agreements have established peace and stability. The National Liberation Front of Tripura's accord has ended long-standing unrest. India is moving forward with peace, development, and prosperity," he said.

Patel's statue, which is referred to as the Statue of Unity, was inaugurated by the Prime Minister in 2018.

The statue is located near Kevadia in Gujarat.