Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday, June 18, 2026, posted a sweeping tribute to the Modi government's 12-year record, framing it as a 'golden period' where development and heritage advanced together. The post, shared under the hashtag #12YearsOfVikasBhiVirasatBhi, cited religious infrastructure, welfare schemes, and cultural restoration as twin pillars of the government's tenure.

Context

Shah wrote in Hindi that the 12 years of the Modi government have been a 'vikas aur virasat ke sangam ka swarnim kaalakhand' — 'a golden era at the confluence of development and heritage.' He specifically named the construction of the Shri Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi, and the Ujjain Mahakal Lok as landmark cultural achievements. On the welfare front, he highlighted schemes including PM Awas Yojana, Ayushman Bharat, and food security programmes, alongside the Make in India initiative and infrastructure expansion.

The post also listed four specific heritage milestones: the digitisation of 1 crore records, the repatriation of 668 ancient artefacts, the establishment of 11 tribal freedom-struggle museums, and the conferral of classical language status on 11 Indian languages. Shah concluded that these steps demonstrate development and heritage are 'complementary to each other.'

Policy Backdrop

The Shri Ram Mandir in Ayodhya was inaugurated in January 2024 after a decades-long legal and political journey, representing a defining moment for the ruling BJP's cultural agenda. The Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, completed in December 2021, redeveloped the area around one of Hinduism's most sacred temples in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The Mahakal Lok corridor in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, was inaugurated in October 2022.

PM Awas Yojana, launched in 2015, targets housing for the rural and urban poor. Ayushman Bharat, rolled out in 2018, provides health insurance cover to economically vulnerable families for secondary and tertiary care. The Make in India initiative was announced in September 2014 to boost domestic manufacturing and attract foreign investment. Repatriation of antiquities gained significant momentum from 2014 onward through agreements with foreign museums and governments.

Classical language recognition in India has a precedent dating to 2004, when Tamil was first accorded the status, followed by Sanskrit in 2005. The current government has significantly expanded the list. The tribal freedom-struggle museums are part of a broader effort to mainstream the contributions of indigenous communities to India's independence movement.

Stakeholders and Impact

The post addresses multiple constituencies simultaneously: urban and rural beneficiaries of welfare schemes, Hindu pilgrims who have seen major religious sites upgraded, tribal communities whose historical contributions are being institutionally recognised, and the manufacturing and infrastructure sectors energised by policy initiatives. This breadth reflects the BJP's electoral coalition-building strategy ahead of future state and national polls.

Heritage organisations and archivists stand to benefit from the digitisation drive, while tribal communities gain symbolic and institutional recognition through dedicated museums. The 11 Indian languages now holding classical status represent a cultural acknowledgement for millions of speakers across regions, potentially influencing education and cultural funding policy.

What's Next

Parliamentary discussions on the next phase of classical language implementation — including funding for research chairs, universities, and digital archives — are expected in upcoming budget sessions. The operationalisation status of the 11 tribal freedom-struggle museums is also likely to draw scrutiny from opposition benches and civil society groups tracking their progress. As the BJP marks this governance milestone, the 'Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi' framing is expected to feature prominently in the party's communication strategy through the electoral cycle.