Addressing public rallies in Rishikesh (Uttarakhand) and Saharanpur (UP) as also at a function in Chandigarh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday accused the Congress of indulging in “negative politics”, saying, “40 MPs are conspiring to block development of the country against the wishes of the 400 MPs.”
The PM expressed regrets for “inconvenience” caused to Chandigarh residents and ordered probe why the UT administration ordered closure of schools and even crematorium. “The inconvenience caused to residents in Chandigarh, especially shutting of schools, due to my visit is regretted. It was totally avoidable. An enquiry will be held and responsibility will be fixed for the inconvenience caused to the people of Chandigarh.”
Modi said there was a “big difference” between negative politics and playing the role of an effective Opposition. “Opposing the Government’s policies and dissenting with it is okay but doing negative politics is not good for democracy. The Congress must understand the difference between the two and learn to respect people’s verdict,” he said in Rishikesh.
“They (Congress) want to stop country’s development. People defeated them in the lok Sabha elections. That is why they want to take revenge. I hope people will identify those indulging in negative politics and punish them in coming days,” the Prime Minister said.
Holding that such tactics cannot run for long, Modi said the Congress may not even be able to win a single seat in the next lok Sabha polls if they continue to pose hurdles in the country’s development march.
Addressing a gathering in Chandigarh, he said, “MPs are sent by the people who elect them to Parliament. However, 40 MPs have conspired against the principles of democracy and playing with it against the wishes of people which is an insult to their representatives.” Modi was in Chandigarh to inaugurate a swanky new terminal at Chandigarh airport which will handle both domestic as well as international flights, and said it will play a key role in the economic development of the region.
Virtually throwing a challenge to the Congress, he said, “Beyond the lok Sabha is Jan Sabha (Peoples’ Parliament)”. In Saharanpur, Modi said the Congress was reduced to 44 seats in the last lok Sabha polls because of the wrong policies pursued by it over a decade in power.
Asking the Congress to introspect, Modi said winning and losing is part of democratic process and the BJP had also got only two seats but it never indulged in such negative politics and always tried to win back peoples’ support.
“They are accustomed to being in the Opposition. They are becoming restless thinking it is our family property and who can dare to snatch it. That too a ‘chaiwala’! A poor man’s son! This is anti-poor mentality. They are not being able to digest that the country has elected a government with full majority. We have not come to power by taking away the rights of anybody. The Congress whose flag used to fly high from Panchayat to Parliament is not visible today,” said Modi.
Modi also referred to Congress’ defeat in civic polls in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bangalore, saying people have rejected their politics.