Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday amidst opposition uproar, following a strong critique of Congress and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi during his lengthy speech in the Lok Sabha the previous day.
Prime Minister Modi said the people chose to reject the politics of illusion in the Lok Sabha election of 2024, and put performance ahead of propaganda. In his reply during the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, Prime Minister Modi said that work done by his government over previous two five-year terms had received whole-hearted blessings with Support from the people of country.
In a pointed comment directed at Congress, Prime Minster Modi ridiculed their ‘one-third government’ remark. He said, โI extend heartfelt gratitude to some Congress colleagues. Since the election results, I noted a colleague, unsupported by his party, who held his partyโs flag high. For his words, โunke muh mein ghee shakkar.โ He kept saying โone-third government.โ What bigger truth is there? Weโve completed 10 years; 20 more to go. So, weโve completed one-third, two-thirds remain. โUnke muh mein ghee shakkarโ for his prophecy.โ
The Opposition MPs in the Lok Sabha, on Tuesday, kept shouting and chanting slogans. They yelled โJustice for Manipurโ and โBharat Jodoโ while Prime Minister Modi continued his speech amid cheers from the ruling party members. The PM alleged that the Congress and its โecosystemโ had insulted Hindus, and hatched a โconspiracyโ that Hindus were violent. He predicted: โI am confident that within a day, the nation will get a reply which it deserves.” The Prime Minister told Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla that strict action should be taken against those who set that example of Monday, which he said was โa slap on our peopleโs wisdom and national traditions”. The Prime Minister, who did not mention Rahul Gandhi by name, was alluding to the Leader of the Oppositionโs (LoP) speech in Lok Sabha on July 1, in which he had a strong attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party. He said that the BJP had committed an โassaultโ on India as an idea.
Besides the Lord Shiva, Rahul Gandhi also displayed portraits of a number of figures from different religions to attack the ruling party in the Lok Sabha.
From Rahul Gandhi’s speech, the stenographic notes of portions on 2 July had to be expunged from the record of Parliament.
On Tuesday, amid opposition chants, Prime Minister Modi continued his speech in the Lok Sabha, accusing Congress of a conspiracy to defame Hindus. He also spoke about his governmentโs achievements, addressing issues like paper leaks and ethnic conflict in Manipur, noting that peace was gradually returning to the region.
In spite of the uproar by opposition members, including those who accused the Congress and the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi of anti-national conduct, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Opposition party members, led by Congress president Malikarjun Kharge in the Rajya Sabha, sought to disrupt Prime Minister’s speech. The protesting MPs called for a halt to the proceedings and demanded that the Leader of Opposition be allowed to address the upper house of Parliament.
Prime Minister Modi Criticizes Opposition: Can’t Face the truth.
Later, the Congress-led INDIA bloc MPs of Rajya Sabha staged a walkout. The Prime Minister Modi was interrupted during his speech and he denounced the walk-out by opposition members, accusing them of escaping from the truth. โStanding there with bare and shameless mindsโ, he told them utterly disdainfully in Hindi: Not one word of criticism was accepted by our press โ that is to say, none of our press offered any criticism that we did, or refrained from giving to make a fair judgment; anything other than fairness came out from our tongue just because they were opposed to us. In their very midst, he wrote reports for official publications that went into the mouths of people โฆ.
Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Jaggdeep Dhankar also condemned the walkout and described it as โdisregardโ for the House of Elders and Constitution. โI gave a chance to Leader of Opposition today speak. He shouted his head off without all this trouble to all of you here and me, certain not at your request people while in front the Constitution! His behavior is truly an insult to that now void document which he has disregarded their own words; if they were violated by her, itโs because even when put under oath to do one thing he didnโt do anything else instead. โ An embarrassed โChairman! I appeal personallyโ said chairman Dhankar pleaded in a low voice at Leader’s actions during his request for silence before replying to call from another opposition party leader about this same issue with general meaning.
Speaking to the media after walking out, Mallikarjun Kharge accused Prime Minister Modi of lying in his speech. โWe walked out because the Prime Minister Modi was addressing the House on the Presidentโs address and mentioned some false things to the House. Itโs his habit to lie and say things beyond the truth,โ the Congress President said.
The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, which began on June 24, had seven sittings. While the Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die on July 2, the Rajya Sabha was indefinitely adjourned on July 3.
Also Read|Opposition Criticizes PM Modiโs 2-hours Lok Sabha Speech for Lack of Substance