Modi invokes Rajiv and Indira to show Opp mirror, urges it to let House function
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday tried to show a mirror to the Congress by quoting late Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru while urging the Opposition to allow smooth functioning of Parliament and also took jibes at the main Opposition party for the “deep roots” poverty took in the country during the Congress’ rule.
Without naming Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, the Prime Minister also talked about the “inferiority complex of members who don’t want Parliament to function.”
Giving a reply on Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, Modi tried to reach out to the Opposition as well as attack them for the “sins” of the past and “obstructionist” tactics of the present. He spent a great deal of time in stressing upon the need to have a functional Parliament where the talents of people’s representatives are used to make policies and programmes of the Government.
Modi’s 75-minute-long speech was replete with wit and barbs as he responded to the attack by the Congress over various initiatives of his Government, including ‘Make in India’ and MNREGA.
Without naming Rahul Gandhi, the Prime Minister said Congress’ top leadership’s “inferiority complex” was the basic reason for disruption of Parliament as it was done to prevent good MPs of the Opposition from expressing their opinions in the House. The annoyance of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul on this remark was quite evident as Modi was pointing to the last benches on the Congress’ side.
“Many good and eminent people are sitting in the back benches and they could not express their opinions or make speeches in Parliament due to the disruptions created by their top leadership due to an inferiority complex. So many young and bright people sitting there. They won’t allow these meritorious people to speak and shine. House is not allowed to function due to inferiority complex,” said Modi, amid huge thumping of desks from the Treasury Benches.
Modi also suggested that there should be a dedicated day for women MPs to speak in Parliament. He was referring to the forthcoming two-day-long Women legislatures meet here, starting on Saturday. Pointing out at young MPs, he said all parties should encourage first timers and youngsters to speak.
Modi also invoked Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and first President Rajendra Prasad by reading out their statements against stalling of legislative business. He deplored the blame game played by political parties for “scoring points”, saying the officialdom rejoices over this and the nation suffers.
“This Government also needs improvement which cannot happen without your help. I am new, you are experienced. I need the benefit of your experience. Governments will come and go. let us work shoulder to shoulder,” Modi said.
Without naming Rahul, the PM appeared to be responding to the Gandhi scion’s remarks that Modi should listen to others. “It is easy to preach to others...Some people are asked all kinds of questions, but there are others, whom nobody dares to question,” he said.
“I have been questioned, I have faced criticism and accusations over the last 14 years. I have learnt to live with it,” said Modi, apparently referring to the attacks on him in the aftermath of Gujarat riots of 2002.
While hitting out at Rahul for criticising his Government, he sarcastically recalled how the Congress vice-president had torn at a Press conference an Ordinance approved by the Cabinet headed by Manmohan Singh and including veterans like AK Antony, Sharad Pawar and Farooq Abdullah.
He also took on Rahul for mocking at the Government’s ambitious ‘Make in India’ programme, questioning whether such a scheme should be made fun of. “You are mocking at ‘Make in India’IJ If it is not successful, you should suggest what should be done to make it successful,” he said.
Invoking Rajiv Gandhi over disruptions, Modi read out a statement made by the former Prime Minister in which he had expressed “pain” over stalling of Parliament and said that while it hurts the Government, it equally hurts the members of the Opposition who want to raise issues of their concern.
He said because of the will of Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, some Bills were passed in lok Sabha but those could not move ahead, suggesting that they got stuck in Rajya Sabha.
Identifying some of these legislations, he said the Whistleblowers Protection Amendment Bill is meant for enlightening the citizens and “I see no reason why it is stopped.” With regard to GST, which is aimed at overhauling the taxation system in the country, Modi told the Congress, “it is yours only, still it is being stopped.”
When Congress member Kantilal Bhuria said that there is a “gap between what you say and what you do”, Modi said, “I have got several certificates during the last 14 years, let there be one more. I accept it with a bowed head.”
He said 18,000 villages of the country were in darkness even so many years after Independence and this was the Congress’ “gift” which “we do not deny”. Responding to Congress contention that MNREGA was the baby of previous UPA Government and that the NDA regime had repackaged and usurped it, Modi dwelt into the history and said such a programme had first been initiated in Maharashtra in 1972.
Modi said such schemes for the poor have been going on for decades under various names and in different versions and that once Jawaharlal Nehru’s name was “removed by same party which curses us”. On Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge’s charge about corruption in MNREGA, the Prime Minister said, “I agree 1000 per cent” and went on to suggest that it was during the tenure of previous UPA Government.
The Prime Minister also rubbished the Congress’s claim to the MNREGA scheme, reading out a list of similar schemes that were in effect over the decades. He accused the Congress of entrenching India deeper into poverty in its 60 years’ rule, saying schemes like the MNREGA that are “for digging holes in the ground” only help make the roots of poverty run deeper.
“Before I became the PM, I did not know how deep they have taken the root of poverty and how much work will have to be done to weed it out. It is a tough task indeed,” he said.
Modi said his Government is trying to improve the MNREGA and make it more constructive.
He said CAG had said in its report of 2012 pointed out how corruption was linked to MNREGA. “We have tried to learn something from that. We are trying to make it foolproof and ensure that targeted people get benefits,” he added.
While the Prime Minister was speaking, Rahul was seen leaving the House, prompting BJP benches to take a dig at the Congress leader. Rahul, who was yet to reach the exit gate, returned to his seat and then again went back and left. As BJP members started mocking Rahul, Modi told them to desist from that. He warned the shouting brigade of Treasury Benches : “Don’t do this to anyone. Stop this.”
Asking Congress to accept that it has brought the country to such a pass, Modi said had there been no poverty, there would have been no need for MNREGA. While taking on Congress, he said it was suffering from a “feeling of jealousy” as it is concerned as to why the NDA Government was doing “well”. He said Congress is worried that ‘What we could not do in 60 years, how could you do itIJ’
He drew comparisons of the performance of his Government with the UPA Governments, particularly in the context of constructing roads and implementation of MNREGA. “I invite intellectuals to do study of Atalji’s Gram Sadak Yojana and MNREGA,” Modi said.
Talking about the Food Security Act brought by the UPA, he said it had not been implemented by four Congress-ruled States, including poll-bound Kerala. “You enjoy talking about Gujarat.... Your own Government in Kerala has not implemented it. You are going to polls there with full force. People will ask why your government did not implement FSA,” he said.
Responding to allegations of disallowing dissent, he narrated an anecdote related to President Nikita Krushchev of erstwhile Soviet Union. “After Stalin died, Krushchev would criticise him wherever he went. At one meeting, Krushchev was criticising Stalin and one youth said, ‘you have worked with Stalin, then why are you criticising him nowIJ... Krushchev replied, ‘I wished to do the same in Stalin era but could not. You can do it. Got the answerIJ”