New Delhi [India], July 3 (ANI): Noting that people have wholeheartedly supported the BJP-led government’s efforts to serve the country over the past 10 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday attacked the Congress saying it has started running ‘Bhrashtachari bachao andolan’ and asked if the opposition party is happy over its “hat-trick of defeat” in Lok Sabha polls.
Replying to the debate on the motion of thanks on the President’s Address, the Prime Minister said it has happened after many decades that the public has given the mandate to a government for the third consecutive time.
” After 60 years, it has happened that the government has returned after being in power for 10 years. I realise this is not an ordinary thing. Some people deliberately tried to black out this decision given by the public,” he said.
The Prime Minister, who faced constant interruptions from opposition members, spoke on the situation in Manipur and the NEET-UG controversy.
PM Modi said that the constitution guides “us like a lighthouse”
“People of India have wholeheartedly supported and blessed our government’s efforts to serve the country over the past 10 years. It is the Constitution given by Baba Saheb Ambedkar which has allowed people like me, who have zero political lineage, to enter politics and reach such a stage,” he said.
“People have given us a third mandate with the confidence and firm belief that we will make India’s economy the third largest. The next five years are crucial for the country. We want to transform this era into an era of saturation of basic necessities with the help of good governance. We do not want to stop here. For the next five years, we are trying to solve the problems arising in new sectors by studying them,” he added.
PM Modi said India is working for women-led development not just as a slogan but with unwavering commitment.
“We have made utmost effort to provide a robust system to farmers ranging from seed to market through micro planning at every stage. The period of Emergency was not just a political issue but it concerned India’s democracy, Constitution and humanity,” he said.
Opposition parties staged a walkout during PM Modi’s speech. The opposition members were demanding that Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge should be allowed to make his point.
PM Modi referred to the NEET paper leak issue and said he had expected all parties to speak by rising above party politics.
He said people who indulged in wrongdoing will not be spared.
“But, unfortunately, they sacrificed even such a sensitive and important issue, an issue related to the future of the youth to politics. What can be a bigger misfortune than this? I assure the youth of the country that this government is not going to spare those who cheated you. One action after the other is being taken to ensure that those who toyed with the future of the youth of my country get the strictest punishment. In Parliament, we have formed strict laws against these irregularities. We are strengthening the entire system so that the youth of my country do not have to be in a situation of apprehension in future and that they showcase their capability in a confident manner and get what is rightfully theirs,” he said.
PM Modi said the government is continuously making efforts to normalise the situation in Manipur.
“More than 11,000 FIRs have been registered and over 500 people arrested. Incidents of violence are continuously reducing in Manipur. Today, schools, colleges, offices and other institutions are open in the state. Central and state government is talking to all stakeholders to restore peace. The Union Home Minister stayed there for many weeks.”
He said the central government is extending all cooperation to Manipur to tackle the flood situation. “Today, two teams of NDRF have reached Manipur. I warn those who are trying to add the fuel to fire will be rejected by Manipur….Congress had imposed President’s rule in Manipur 10 times,” he added.
PM Modi said he had no hesitation in stating that he has given a free hand to agencies to take stringent action against corruption and the corrupt.
“Government will not interfere anywhere. They should work honestly for honesty…I would like to tell the citizens that no corrupt will be safe from the law. Ye Modi ki guarantee hai,” he said.
“For me, the fight against corruption is not the scale for electoral wins or losses. I am not fighting corruption to win or lose elections. This is my mission, my conviction. I believe that corruption is one such termite that has hollowed out the nation. I am working wholeheartedly to free this country of corruption and to build hatred against corruption in the minds of common people,” he added.
PM Modi said fight against corruption is not to be measured in terms of electoral wins or losses. “I am not fighting corruption to win or lose elections. This is my mission, my conviction. I believe that corruption is one such termite that has hollowed out the nation. I am working wholeheartedly to free this country of corruption and to build hatred against corruption in the minds of common people…”
PM Modi also attacked the Congress over its filing complaint against AAP and then joining hands with it.
“Congress has started running ‘Bhrashtachari bachao andolan’ now. When the corrupt are sent to jail they do hungama…It’s being said that investigative agencies are being misused…’Bhrashtachar kare ‘AAP’, sharabghotala kare ‘AAP’ aur ‘AAP ki shikayat kare Congress, AAP ko court mein leke jaye Congress, ab karyawahi ho toh gaali de Modi ko…And now they are partners….Congress had presented facts against AAP in a press conference, now they must tell if those facts were correct or not,” PM Modi asked.
He also said that Congress accuses government of misusing probe agencies but wants CBI to take action against Kerala Chief Minister, whose party is also in the India bloc.
“They are people who have double standards. I would like to remind the country again and again of the double standards. In Delhi, they share the stage and level allegations against investigation agencies, they conduct rallies to protect the corrupt. In Kerala, their ‘shehzada’ appeals to send a CM – who is an ally in their alliance – to jail. He tells the Government of India to send him to jail. In Delhi, they raise an alarm over ED-CBI and the same people tell the same agencies to send the Kerala CM to jail…In Chhattisgarh, CM of the Congress government was linked to liquor scam. AAP used to say that the ED should put this CM behind bars. ED was dear to them at that time.”
PM Modi accused Congress of fielding its Dalit leaders in a losing cause.
“With these election results, not only a jump in the capital market is being seen but there is also an atmosphere of joy across the world…Amid this, Congress people are also happy. I can’t understand the reason for this joy…Is this joy for the hattrick of loss? Is this joy for falling to nervous 90? Is this joy for another failed launch?..I saw even Kharge ji to be full of energy. But perhaps Kharge ji served his party a lot because the blame of this loss that should have been attributed to someone was saved by him and he stood like a wall instead,” he said.
“Whenever such a situation arises, a Dalit and backward have to bear the brunt and that family remains safe. The same was seen here too. You would have seen the issue of Lok Sabha Speaker, there too their defeat was certain but who did they push forward? A Dalit. They knew that he will lose, still he was fielded. In President and Vice President elections, in 2022 they fielded Sushil Kumar Shinde; let they Dalit lose, they themselves have nothing to lose. In 2017, when the defeat was certain, they fielded Meira Kumar…Congress has an anti-SC/ST/OBC mindset due to which, they kept humiliating former President Ram Nath Kovind. With this mindset, they left no stone unturned in insulting the first tribal woman President of the country and used words they no one else can,” he added.
With Congress having repeatedly raised “threat to constitution” in its election campaign, PM Modi said if this election was to save the Constitution, “then the people of the nation chose us for it…1977 election saved the Constitution”.
He also accused opposition parties of double standards on cases of atrocities against women, saying that they had not spoken on the recent video of violence.
“The Opposition’s selective attitude on atrocities against women is very worrying…I have seen a video from Bengal on social media where a woman was being beaten…The incident which happened in Sandeshkhali….But even the senior leaders (of the opposition) have not said a word about it,” he said.
PM Modi said India has taken decisive steps towards women-led development. “We have also worked in the areas of women’s health, sanitation and wellness.”
The Opposition MPs had conveyed that Kharge was not allowed to speak and that he should be allowed. They raises slogans ‘LoP ko bolne do’
As they walked out, PM Modi took a swipe. “The country is watching that those who spread lies do not have the strength to hear the truth. Those who do not have the courage to face truth, do not have courage to listen to the answers to questions that were raised in these discussions. They are insulting the Upper House, the glorious tradition of the Upper House,” he said.
Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar expressed his anguish at walk out by opposition parties and condemned their conduct.
“I urged them the LoP was given adequate time to speak without any interruptions. Today, they did not leave the House behind, they have left behind dignity. Today, they did not show me their back, they showed it to the Constitution of India. They did not insult me or you, they insulted the oath of the Constitution that they took. There can be no bigger insult to the Constitution of India than this…I condemn their conduct,” the Chairman said.
“It is an occasion where they have challenged the Indian Constitution. They outraged the spirit of Indian Constitution, they have disregarded the oath they have undertaken…Indian Constitution is not something to hold in your hands, it is the book to way of life. I hope that they will self-introspect and walk the path of duty,” he added.
PM Modi said that during Congress’s tenure, there was a scheme for Rs 60,000 crore farmers’ loan waiver but names of the needy small farmers were not even included in the list of beneficiaries.”
“The next five years are to ensure saturation of basic facilities and for the fight against poverty. This country will emerge victorious against poverty in the next five years, and I am saying this based on the experience of the past 10 years. When India will become the third largest economy in the world, its impact will be on every sphere of life.”
“We feel proud of the wisdom and intelligence of the people of this country, in these elections. They defeated propaganda. They prioritised performance. They rejected the politics of deceit and put stamp of victory on the politics of trust. This opportunity given to us for the third time by the people of the country is to realise ‘Viksit Bharat’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat'”.
He also took potshots at Congress leader Jairam Ramesh’s dig that he was “one-third” PM
“I would like to extend hearty gratitude to a few colleagues in Congress. Ever since the results came, I was taking note of a colleague – who was not supported by his party but he held his party’s flag all alone. For what he said, unke muh mein ghee shakkar. Why am I saying this? He repeatedly said “1/3rd government”. What can be a bigger truth than this? We have completed 10 years now and there is 20 more to go. So, we have completed 1/3rd, 2/3rd remains. So, ‘unke muh mein ghee shakkar’ for his prophecy,” PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister recalled that there was staunch opposition raised when his Government had proposed to commemorate 26th November as the “Constitution Day”. He added that their decision to commemorate Constitution Day has helped to further disseminate the spirit of the constitution, discuss and deliberate on why and how certain provisions were included and omitted in the Constitution amongst youngsters in schools and colleges.
The Prime Minister assured the House that the government would work towards saturation of basic necessities of the people. “We want to transform this era into an era of saturation of basic necessities with the help of good governance.”
He highlighted that the next five years are crucial for the fight against poverty and expressed the belief in the collective capabilities of the poor to take a stand against poverty and overcome it based on the experiences of the last 10 years.
Calling the present century a technology-driven century, PM Modi, talked of new tech footprints in many new sectors such as public transport. He also hoped that small cities would play a major role in fields like medicine, education or innovation.
Underlining the importance of strengthening the four pillars of farmers, poor, women and youth, the Prime Minister said that the government’s focus on these areas is critical in the journey of India’s development.
The Prime Minister highlighted that his government gave a subsidy of Rs 12 lakh crore for fertilizers to the poor farmers, the highest figure since independence. He said that to empower the farmers, his government did not just announce a record increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) but also created new records in purchasing from them.
Highlighting the inclusive nature of his government, PM Modi emphasized that it had worked to implement a law for the transgenders, a forgotten section of the society.
He added that even Western countries today look at the progressive nature of India with pride and highlighted that the prestigious Padma awards were also now bestowed upon transgenders by his Government.
Highlighting the new global image of the country, the Prime Minister said that the era of ‘ifs and buts’ has ceased to exist today as Bharat is welcoming foreign investments which are paving the way for employment opportunities for its youth while also showcasing their potential and talent on an international platform. The Prime Minister said that today’s victory of India has brought hope for those investors who look forward to a balance in the global economy.
PM Modi also touched upon the atrocities during Emergency.
“The period of Emergency was not just a political issue but it concerned India’s democracy, Constitution and humanity”, the Prime Minister exclaimed. Pointing out the atrocities inflicted upon the then opposition leaders who were put behind bars, PM Modi mentioned Late Shri Jai Prakash Narayan ji who could not fully recover after his release. “Many who left home never returned after the Emergency,” the Prime Minister said.
Citing the voting figures of the recent Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the Prime Minister said the people of the union territory have come out in large numbers to cast their votes, breaking the records of the last four decades.
“People of Jammu and Kashmir have approved Bharat’s Constitution, its democracy and Election Commission,” he said hailing the mandate.
Congratulating the voters of the union territory, the Prime Minister said that in the past few decades multiple bandhs, protests, blasts and terror activities had eclipsed the democracy in Jammu & Kashmir. However, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have displayed their unwavering faith in the Constitution and decided their future. “In a way, we are in the final stage of our fight against terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. We are working hard to destroy the remaining terror networks,” he said, adding that the people of the union territory are helping and guiding them in this fight.
The Prime Minister said that the Northeast is fast becoming the gateway of the nation’s progress. He narrated steps taken in this direction in the last few years. He mentioned the unprecedented growth of infrastructure in the Northeast. He also expressed hope for a long-lasting impact of the efforts to ensure permanent peace in the region as boundary disputes among the states are being addressed in a meaningful manner with consensus.
The Prime Minister emphasized that he has learnt the importance of federalism from experience as he was the Chief Minister of State before stepping foot into the Lok Sabha and becoming the Prime Minister.
He urged all states to contribute to India’s growth story and reap its benefits. The Prime Minister also urged the states to constitute policies and frame the laws that enhance ‘Ease of Living’ among the citizens.
Expressing concern about climate change, the Prime Minister said the natural calamities are increasing. He urged states to come forward and fight it. PM Modi said that all need to work together to provide potable water to all and upgrade health services. He expressed confidence that these fundamental goals can be achieved through political willingness and every state will step up and cooperate to reach them.
He said the current century is going to be a century of India.
“Viksit Bharat is the mission of 140 crore citizens”, the Prime Minister said as he highlighted the importance of unity to achieve this goal. He reiterated that the whole world is ready to invest in India’s potential. “India is the first choice of the world.” He exhorted the states to seize the opportunity.
The House adopted the motion of thanks to the President’s address. PM Modi had replied to the debate on motion of thanks on Tuesday in the Lok Sabha. Rajya Sabha was later adjourned sine die. (ANI)
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