PM Modi Highlights US, Europe Trade Pacts in Rajya Sabha
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday unfolded amid sustained sloganeering by Opposition members, prompting sharp political barbs and an eventual walkout.
The Prime Minister entered the Upper House around 5 pm, a day after he was unable to respond in the Lok Sabha due to repeated disruptions and allegations that Opposition MPs had crowded around the Speaker’s chair. From the moment he began speaking, chants accusing the government of dictatorship and demands that the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi be allowed to speak drowned out his remarks.
As the din continued, Mr Modi paused and trained his fire on Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge. Referring to the 83-year-old leader, the Prime Minister remarked that he could afford to remain seated and shout slogans because of his age. The jibe did little to calm tempers, with Opposition MPs continuing their protest before staging a walkout.
Resuming his address, the Prime Minister used the walkout to take another swipe at the Opposition, remarking that they had “got tired and left.” He went on to defend his government’s record, asserting that the administration had inherited a damaged system in 2014. According to Mr Modi, years of misgovernance had tarnished India’s global standing, forcing his government to work to restore the country’s credibility.
Highlighting recent trade engagements with the European Union and the United States, the Prime Minister accused Opposition parties of lacking vision and credibility. Naming the Congress, the Trinamool Congress, the Left and the DMK, he said these parties had ruled for decades but were remembered primarily for corruption scandals rather than policy achievements.
He singled out the Congress, alleging that when people discussed the party, they spoke not of trade or economic reforms but of controversial “deals like Bofors.” The reference was widely interpreted as a response to the Congress’ charge that the government had compromised national interests under pressure from Washington in the proposed India-US trade agreement, the details of which are not public.
The Opposition has warned that farmers and sensitive sectors could suffer as a result of the deal. The government has maintained that agriculture and dairy will remain protected.
Concluding his remarks, Mr Modi underlined government’s focus on execution. “The Congress imagines things but does nothing about implementation,” he said.
