Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday, 12 June 2026, publicly praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a press conference in Mumbai, crediting him with elevating India's identity and self-respect through a governance philosophy that pairs development with cultural heritage.

Context

Speaking at the Mumbai press conference, Fadnavis invoked the phrase 'Vikas bhi aur Virasat bhi' ('Development as well as Heritage') to describe what he called Modi's defining contribution to the nation. In his statement — delivered in both Marathi and Hindi — he said the Prime Minister 'has worked to elevate the nation's identity and self-respect to new heights through the idea of development alongside heritage.'

The trilingual framing of the remarks, spanning Marathi, Hindi and a direct @narendramodi tag on X, underscored the deliberate effort to amplify the message across regional and national audiences simultaneously.

Policy Backdrop

The slogan 'Vikas bhi aur Virasat bhi' has been a recurring motif in BJP's national communication since 2014, used to position the party's governance as simultaneously modernising and culturally rooted. Flagship projects such as the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi are frequently cited as physical embodiments of this dual philosophy — blending infrastructure upgrades with the restoration of religious and historical sites.

At the state level, Maharashtra has seen similar initiatives that combine tourism infrastructure with heritage conservation, aligning state-level messaging with the central government's broader cultural-nationalist narrative. BJP state leaders across the country have consistently echoed this framing to reinforce ideological coherence between New Delhi and state capitals.

Stakeholders and Impact

Maharashtra's citizens stand as the primary audience for this messaging, particularly ahead of any upcoming legislative or civic cycles where the BJP-led state government seeks to consolidate its support base. The press conference format — rather than a social media post alone — signals an intent to reach traditional media consumers as well as digital audiences.

The remarks also carry symbolic weight for the broader NDA coalition, reinforcing the narrative that state and central leadership share a unified vision. Opposition parties in Maharashtra are likely to scrutinise whether specific heritage-plus-development projects promised for the state have seen concrete progress on the ground.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to whether Fadnavis follows up the rhetorical endorsement with announcements of specific heritage-linked infrastructure or cultural projects in Maharashtra. Any such announcements would test the degree to which the 'Vikas bhi aur Virasat bhi' philosophy translates from political messaging into budgeted policy on the ground. Opposition responses in the state assembly are also expected to probe the gap between stated vision and implementation timelines.