Amit Shah calls upon citizens to use 'Swadeshi', says 'market will be utilized if we promote indigenous items'

Mumbai: Amid the Trump tariffs and the emerging global economic order, Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday made a strong pitch for adoption of swadeshi citing the strength of India’s population.

“India has a large market of 140 crore population. This market can be utilized only when we all decide that we will promote the use of indigenous items in our families,” Shah said addressing a farmers’ rally in the Ahilyanagar district of Maharashtra.

The statement of Shah comes just days ahead of the 2025 edition of Global Fintech Fest (GFF) in Mumbai which will be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top ministers of the BJP-led NDA government.

On the GST, he said Modi has provided a major relief to people with the GST reforms. “The GST rates were slashed for 395 products. It has been reduced to zero on many food and drink items,” he said.

Shah was speaking after unveiling statues of Vitthalrao Vikhe Patil and Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil in Ahilyanagar, the doyens of cooperative movement in India.

Dr Vithalrao Vikhe Patil (29 August 1901 - 21 April 1980), a recipient of Padma Shri, started the first sugar factory in the cooperative sector in India and whole of Asia at Loni in Rahata tehsil of Ahilyanagar, earlier known as Ahmednagar district.

Dr Balasaheb Vikhe Patil, a recipient of Padma Vibhushan, was a seven-time MP representing Kopargaon and Ahmednagar in the Lok Sabha and was the minister for heavy industries in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA dispensation. He was appointed pro-tem speaker of 14th Lok Sabha.

Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, the son of Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil and grandson of Dr Vitthalrao Vikhe Patil welcomed Shah at Pravara Nagar in Loni Budruk after Shah offered prayers at the temple Saibaba of Shirdi.

Shah also launched the renovation of the Padma Shree Dr Vithalrao Vikhe Patil Cooperative Sugar Factory in presence of Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar and their cabinet colleagues.

"Padma Shri Vitthalrao Vikhe Patil Ji established the first cooperative sugar factory in the entire world. Due to this, not only farmers in Maharashtra but also in states like Gujarat, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh attained prosperity. It was he who also made the arrangement to send the profits of the sugar factory to the farmers' bank accounts instead of the merchants' account,” he said.

“Dr. Balasaheb Vikhe Patil Ji laid the foundations of development through co-operatives in three areas - education, health and rural development,” he added.

Amit Shah takes a dig at Opposition parties

Taking a dig at Opposition parties, Amit Shah said that only followers of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharashtra could have changed the names of Aurangabad district as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Aurangabad as Ahilyanagar. “Followers of Aurangzeb will have the courage to do so,” he said.