On August 15, Modi blends polls, policy and politics from Red Fort

Also read: State of economy, insurance for poor and Indian in space: Highlights from PM’s I-Day speech

He also reached out to Kashmiris, hinting at fresh local body elections in the strife-torn state, as he underlined the broad contours of creating a “New India” by 2022 that was free of corruption and cronyism.

“Atal Bihari Vajpayee showed us the way for Jammu and Kashmir: Insaniyat, Jamhuriyat, Kashmiriyat. We want to go ahead on that road. Not by bullets and abuse, we want to embrace the patriotic people of Kashmir” the Prime Minister said.

Whether it is of Ladakh or Jammu or Kashmir Valley, there should be balanced and equal development. “All expectations of the people there should be fulfilled, infrastructure should be strengthened and we should walk with everyone. We don’t want to move in the path of guns and abuse,” he said.

Modi said Jammu and Kashmir, which is under Governor’s Rule, will hold panchayat and local body elections.

The state has been under Governor’s rule after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ended its alliance with the Mehbooba Mufti-led People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on June 19.

The Prime Minister slammed the opposition for stalling the Triple Talaq Bill. “The practice of Triple Talaq has caused great injustice among Muslim women. The Triple Talaq has ruined the lives of many women and many are still living in fear," Modi said, as he sought to reach out to Muslim women ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha polls.

Modi said that his government tried to bring the Bill in Parliament in the just-concluded monsoon session "but there are some people who do not want it to be passed".

"I assure Muslim sisters and daughters that their rights will be protected and the government will not leave any effort to protect them. I promise and assure that I shall fulfill your aspirations," Modi added

On PRAJAA, often referred to as Modi-care, the Prime Minister said that “it is high time we ensure that the poor of the country get access to good quality and affordable healthcare.”

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced in the budget for 2018-19, announced the launch of NHPS to cover over 100 million “poor and vulnerable families”, approximately covering 500 million beneficiaries. It will provide coverage up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation.

Modi also gave a stirring account of the NDA government’s achievements over the last four years, pointing to India edging past France to become the world’s sixth largest economy.

According to latest World Bank data, India’s GDP stood at USD 2.597 trillion (Rs 178 lakh crore) in 2017 at current prices in market exchange rates, ahead of France whose GDP stood at USD 2.582 trillion (Rs 177 lakh crore) in 2017. India is likely to overtake United Kingdom (GDP USD 2.622 trillion) as the fifth largest economy by 2022.

“We are celebrating this Independence Day when every Indian anywhere in the world is proud that India is the sixth biggest economy in the world today,” Modi said. “India used to be counted in the 'Fragile Five' in the world. But today, India is a multi-trillion dollar investment. Everything has changed.”

India has also leapfrogged into the 100th rank in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business rankings, jumping 30 notches from 2016, which the Prime Minister said was an endorsement of the string of reforms that his government has taken over the four years.

The report also recognizes India as one of the top 10 improvers in this year’s assessment, having implemented reforms in 8 out of 10 Doing Business indicators.

“Businesses used to talk about red tape, now they talk about red carpet. They used to talk about policy paralysis, today they talk about reform, perform, transform,” he said.

The government’s unrelenting focus on clamping down the parallel economy has started yielding results, he said.

More than 60 million (6 crore) non-existent beneficiaries have been struck off from the government’s welfare rolls, helping save subsidy and welfare bills by Rs 90,000 crore, he said.

The number of individual tax assessees have nearly doubled from 35 million (3.5 crore) to about 67.5 million (6.75 crore), and just within a year of GST’s rollout, the number of indirect tax assessees have gone up from 7 million to more 11 million, he said.

Nearly 3 lakh shell companies that existed only on paper and suspected to be used to funnel unaccounted wealth have been shuttered, he said. “Bhai-bhatijebad bandh ho gaya hain (Cronyism and power broking has disappeared),” Modi said.

“The honest taxpayer of India has a major role in the progress of the nation. It is due to them that so many people are fed, the lives of the poor are transformed,” he said.

The Prime Minister gave an unequivocal message that government will come down heavily on crime against women.

“We have to free our society and country from this disgusting mentality of rape. Recently in Madhya Pradesh, a rapist was hanged by a fast-track court. We should spread this news and make people aware. Rule of law is supreme and no one can take law into their hands,” he said.