Intimacy seen in Niti Aayog meeting: When Prime Minister Narendra Modi held the hand of Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai and said – Chattisgarh’s matter is still pending

Raipur, May 24, 2025: An intimate moment emerged during the Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog, which caught everyone’s attention. During the lunch break, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held the hand of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai and said with a smile, “Chhattisgarh ki baat abhi baki hai.” This one sentence reflected the Prime Minister’s affection, trust and special interest towards the state. At that moment, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who were present nearby, also smiled and witnessed this conversation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the positive changes taking place in the tribal areas of Chhattisgarh, industrial investment, and the concrete steps taken by the state government towards ‘Atmanirbhar Bastar’. Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai explained how Bastar is no longer a symbol of struggle, but of possibility – where guns were once fired, machines, laptops and startups are now being discussed. From setting up the country’s first semiconductor unit and AI data center in Nava Raipur to the auction of lithium blocks – Chhattisgarh is now moving towards becoming a resource-rich state and has a very important role in the development of the country. This moment was not of any formal dialogue, but of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s spontaneous acceptance and appreciation of the efforts of Chief Minister Sai committed to the development of Chhattisgarh. While states across the country presented their development models in the NITI Aayog meeting, Chhattisgarh’s presentation received special interest and appreciation from the Prime Minister. This is a clear indication that Chhattisgarh is no longer just an emerging state, but has become a state playing a decisive role in the overall development of the country.