After a fierce speech in the Lok Sabha replying to the motion of thanks on the President’s address yesterday, PM Modi addressed the Rajya Sabha today (February 9) wherein he took a dig at the Congress for following a tokenism culture during their six-decade regime.
Notably, when PM Modi began responding to the Motion of Thanks in Rajya Sabha, the opposition parties resorted to sloganeering, violating the House’s basic decorum. PM Modi responded to the opposition parties’ sloganeering in the House with a smart rejoinder, saying, “Kichad uske pass gulal, mere pass tha. Usne uchaal tha, jo bhi jiske pass tha. Jitna keechad uchaloge, kamal utna hi khilega” (More you throw mud on us, more the lotus will blossom).”
“I want to tell these MPs (Oppostion MPs)…the more you throw ‘keechad’, the better the lotus will bloom,” he added.
Addressing the Rajya Sabha. https://t.co/XO3F8kfkfY
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 9, 2023
PM Modi then moved on to respond to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s remarks. “When I became the Prime Minister in 2014, I saw that the Congress had created problems and issues everywhere, even though they claimed they wanted to create a strong foundation for India’s overall development.”
He added that Congress during its regime, never found a solution for the myriad problems the nation was facing. Instead, it dug several potholes and squandered six decades. Several smaller countries advanced over this time period, but India stayed stagnant.
“Congress only engaged in ‘tokenism’, never tried to find permanent solutions to problems confronting country,” PM Modi said highlighting how BJP after coming to power in 2014 worked towards the development of the country.
“Merely expressing intent doesn’t work, what matters is speed, direction and result of developments ushered in,” said Modi in RS, adding how the BJP government found ways to solve the basic problems of the people of the country like water.
“We paid attention to every aspect like Water conservation and Water irrigation. We connected people with the ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain campaign,'” said Modi, adding that BJP has extended potable water supply to 11 crore houses in the last 3-4 years against only 3 crores pre-2014.
JAM Trinity has been truly transformative: PM Modi in the Rajya Sabha
Modi further spoke about how BJP has worked towards the empowerment of common people. “More than half of the people of the country didn’t have banking facilities. BJP found a permanent solution and introduced the Jan Dhan programme. We motivated banks and onboarded them. In the last 9 years, 48 crore Jan Dhan bank accounts have been opened,” said Modi.
Modi further stated that during the last five years, Rs 27 lakh crore has been sent to beneficiaries via DBT using the ‘Jan Dhan Aadhar Mobile (JAM)’ trinity. He noted how the transparency enabled through the JAM Trinity had saved Rs 2 lakh crore of the nation from slipping into the ‘wrong ecosystem’.
Taking a jibe at Congress’ Mallikarjun Kharge, Modi added, “Yesterday Kharge ji was complaining that Modi ji comes to my constituency Kalaburagi. He should see the work that has been done there. 1.70 crore Jan Dhan bank accounts have opened in Karnataka, including over 8 lakh accounts in Kalaburagi. So many people are getting empowered, while someone’s account getting closed, I can understand the pain.”
Modi went on to say that Congress has frequently used the slogan “Gareebi Hatao,” but has done nothing for over four decades. The BJP, on the other hand, has worked hard to fulfil the country’s expectations and aspirations.
Modi talks about schemes introduced by BJP
Speaking on the measures undertaken by the Modi government during their eight years in power, PM Modi stated that they implemented the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao programme, which resulted in an improved gender ratio. The BJP government implemented the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana to ensure that females continue their education and do not drop out due to a lack of toilets in their schools.
We ran Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao programme which led to a better sex ratio.
— BJP (@BJP4India) February 9, 2023
We ensured that the girls don’t drop out in the absence of toilets in the school.
So that she can continue her education, we brought Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana.
– PM @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/SYPKnOZit3
Finally, when she is old enough and wants to start her own business, Mudra Yojana provides her with loans, PM Modi added, giving details of the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) launched by him on April 8, 2015, which provides loans upto 10 lahks to the non-corporate, non-farm small/micro enterprises.
Speaking about the BJP government’s contribution to the field of science and technology, Modi added, “to develop scientific temperament in the child, we introduced Atal Tinkering Labs. Further, we brought Atal Incubation Centres. We opened avenues for the private industry in the space sector. Our youth, today, has the power of launching private satellites.”
To develop scientific temperament in the child, we introduced Atal Tinkering Labs. Further, we brought Atal Incubation Centres.
— BJP (@BJP4India) February 9, 2023
We opened avenues for the private industry in the space sector. Our youth, today, has the power of launching private satellites.
– PM @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/g6h7kGAprJ
Real secularism is saturation: PM Modi
Modi stated that his administration has vowed to attain 100 per cent saturation in all initiatives and to cease all forms of appeasement. “During ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal,’ we have chosen to achieve saturation levels in initiatives to benefit everyone; this is true secularism,” he remarked.
Further elaborating on what he means by this, Modi said that true secularism is making sure that the benefits of different government schemes reach all eligible beneficiaries. “We practice ‘sachcha’ (true) secularism. Our aim is to remove all kinds of discrimination. Govt’s motto remains ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’. This is real secularism. The country is with us. They have rejected Congress many times,” he said.
Modi went on to explain how his government’s Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas goal requires that benefits reach all segments of society. “Our priority is the common public, and this is the reason we made LPG connections available to 25 crore families in the country,” Modi said, reminding the House how right from independence till 2014, until BJP rose to power, only 14 crore LPG connections had been provided to the people of the country.
Congress deprived tribals of Vikas: Modi
PM Modi attacked the previous Congress administration for engaging in vote bank politics and denying tribals of progress and prosperity. “The economic, social, and political policies of the Congress party were founded on vote bank politics. If Congress had worked with noble intentions for tribals, I would not have had to work so hard in the third decade of the twenty-first century “PM Modi stated.
“Before 2014, when Congress was in power, the allocation for tribals was around Rs 20,000 crore. But we have allocated Rs 1.20 lakh crore for the welfare of tribals. This year’s Union Budget has five times more funds for tribals,” he said.
“We identified 110 aspiration districts in the country. Education, infra, and health have improved in these districts due to continued focus and performance review. This has benefitted more than 3 crore tribals,” Modi added.
PM Modi also spoke on women empowerment and the development of farmers. “Small farmers are the backbone of India’s agriculture sector. We are working to strengthen their hands,” Modi asserted.
Small farmers are the backbone of India’s agriculture sector. We are working to strengthen their hands. pic.twitter.com/x74lWsmSe6
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 9, 2023
Modi added in the parliament that his government provided insurance benefits through the Ayushman card to the women who endured the medical conditions as they worried about the cost.
The Prime Minister added that a new sector of the digital economy is thriving as a result of the rise of Digital India. There are 90,000 registered startups that have created new job opportunities. More than 1 crore persons will be enrolled in the EPFO payroll by 2020. PM Modi stated that the Atma Bharat Rojgar Yojana benefited over 60,000 employees and that the opposition does not grasp the difference between a job and employment.
Modi went on to criticise the opposition party leader for attempting to bring the country into dishonour by instilling vaccine apprehension and casting aspersions on Indian experts who developed indigenous vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Why family shies away from using ‘Nehru’ surname: PM Modi takes a dig at Congress
In an apparent dig at the Gandhis, the Prime Minister asked in Rajya Sabha why the family avoids using the ‘Nehru’ surname.
“Some had problems with names of schemes of government and Sanskrit words in the names. I read in report that 600 government schemes were in the Gandhi-Nehru family’s name. I don’t understand why people from their generation don’t keep Nehru as their surname, what’s the fear & shame?,” Modi asked.
PM accuses Congress of using the president’s rule to topple state govts
He also accused the Congress government of ‘misusing’ Article 356 of the Constitution by dismissing 90 state governments. “Indira Gandhi ‘misused’ Article 356 of Constitution 50 times to dismiss elected state governments. Congress created problems for regional leaders of opposition parties,” he said.
The Prime Minister was responding to the charge that the Central Government was interfering with the functioning of the state.
