The Congress on Wednesday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s legitimacy has been diminished to “one-third” and his Government is on its “last legs” and can fall anytime.
Hitting out at the Prime Minister over his remarks on Manipur in the Rajya Sabha, the Congress also said he made an “astounding claim” that the situation is normal there when in actuality it is still tense and pointed out that he has still not visited the State since violence erupted in May last year.
The Opposition party’s assertion regarding recently held Lok Sabha polls came over the Prime Minister’s remarks in the Rajya Sabha that since the results came out, one Congress leader kept on beating the drum that there is a “one-third government” in place.”What can be a bigger truth than this that we have completed 10 years, 20 more are left. One-third is done, two-thirds are still left and so we are very happy for this prediction,” Modi said in his reply to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address to the joint sitting of Parliament.
Modi’s remarks were an apparent dig at Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who has been referring to the PM as ‘one-third PM’. Reacting to the remarks, Congress general secretary Ramesh said, “As always, the ‘one-third’ Pradhan Mantri is distorting. The label of ‘ek tihai (one-third)’ does not refer to his government’s tenure. It refers to our very own non-biological PM.” “After the resounding personal, political, and moral defeat of June 4th, it is his legitimacy and aura that has been diminished to one-third - and he himself is dependent on two other Ns for his political survival. His Government is anyways on its last legs and can fall anytime,” Ramesh said in an apparent reference to JD(U)’s Nitish Kumar and TDP’s N Chandrababu Naidu.In his speech in the Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister Modi said the 2024 general election verdict showed people have rejected propaganda and voted for performance. He said the politics of misleading people has been defeated.
Modi said for his party BJP, the Constitution is not just a compilation of articles but its spirit and words are very important too. As regards Manipur, Congress criticism came after Prime Minister Modi said violence in Manipur is continuously declining and the schools have reopened in most part of the state, and efforts are being made to ensure a return of complete peace. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Modi said the Centre was working with the state government and others to restore normalcy in the state.
In his reaction to the remarks, Jairam Ramesh said, “Today in the Rajya Sabha, after months of absolute silence on the issue, the non-biological PM made the astounding claim that the situation in Manipur is normal.”
“In actuality, the situation is still tense as the MP from Inner Manipur pointed out in the Lok Sabha on 1st July. And the non-biological Pradhan Mantri has still not visited Manipur since it erupted on the night of May 3rd, 2023 — nor has he met with the political leaders of the state.