New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday sent out a strong message of inclusivity, saying his government does not discriminate on the basis of any faith or caste. He also praised the role of Mar Thoma Church in the freedom struggle.

Modi was addressing the 90th birthday celebrations of Rev Dr Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan. He joined the Kerala based Church via video conference.

"Government does not discriminate among faith, gender, caste, creed or language," remarked Modi, adding that the guiding light for the Centre is the Constitution of India.

"The Mar Thoma church played a role in India's freedom struggle. The church was at the forefront of working towards national integration," remarked Modi while adding that the church fought the Emergency too. "It is a matter of great pride that the Mar Thoma church is firmly rooted in Indian values," he said.

Prime Minister Modi used the event to assert India's successful fight against coronavirus. He said, "India's recovery rate against COVID-19 is rising. Any loss of life is unfortunate due to Covid-19 or any other reasons. However, India's death rate per million population is under 12. To place this in a context, the death rate in Italy is 574 per million population."

He said that the figures in America, Spain, Britain and France are much higher than that of India.

The Prime minister said while trade and businesses have started to open up, there is a need to practice precautions.

He also spoke about a self-reliant India, saying it will bring "prosperity for every Indian". "The aim is to increase export earning and provide more employment to over 55 lakh people," he declared (IANS)