PM Modi Responds To President’s Address In Rajya Sabha | Key Highlights

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, after the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address was adopted by the Lok Sabha without the customary speech of the PM. This comes amid the continued protests by the Opposition, for the fourth consecutive day, during the Budget Session.

His address in the Rajya Sabha was marred by massive protest and sloganeering from the Opposition MPs, who started shouting and banging the desks even before the PM began speaking.

Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnana requested the Opposition MPs to take their seats and maintain the decorum of the House. The Opposition began chanting "Nahi chalegi, nahi chalegi, tanashahi nahi chalegi" as PM Modi talked about 'Viksit Bharat' and the developments seen in India.

A jibe at Kharge

PM Modi began his speech amidst the disruptions, and took a jibe at the Leader of Opposition of Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, who was also raising slogans. "Looking at the age of Kharge ji, I urge you, the Chairman, to let him sit and sloganeer so that he faces no discomfort. There are young people at the back. So, please permit Kharge ji to sloganeer even while sitting," he said. 

However, after continuous sloganeering, the Opposition, walked out as PM Modi continued with his speech in the Rajya Sabha. Targeting the Congress party, PM Modi said that those who are tired or have left will one day have to answer for why they created the present condition of the country.

‘New heights of development’

Stating that India is heading at the right direction, the PM said, "The most important thing is that even the world’s richest of rich countries are ageing. Their populations have reached that stage of life which we know as old age. Our country is one that is touching new heights of development, and at the same time, day by day, our country is growing younger." India is doing future-ready trade deals, the PM Modi said, pointing to the EU trade deal, dubbed the mother of all trade deals, and the much-awaited India-US trade deal. 

The President has elaborately presented India’s progress in Parliament, covering science, technology, agriculture, and all sections of society, the PM added.

PM Modi attacks Congress, TMC

Taking a dig at Congress, the PM said that the Congress has no ideas or vision. The NDA government had to spend a lot of time “correcting” Congress's mistakes, he alleged. "The world had a certain image of India because of them, and I had to spend time changing that. This is how bad things were," he said. 

“Whether it is the Congress, the TMC, the DMK, or the Left, they have remained in power at the Centre for decades and have also had opportunities to run governments in the states. They only worked to fill their own pockets; bringing change to the lives of citizens was never their priority,” the PM said. 

He also took a hit at the Trinamool Congress (TMC), and accused them of ‘protecting infiltrators’ who are taking away resources of the indigenous people. 

“TMC leaders spoke on many issues, but they should also look at their own shortcomings. People there (in West Bengal) are suffering because of this government. They are trying to protect infiltrators by approaching the courts. They only care about power,” he said. 

PM Modi's reference to Indira Gandhi 

Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi once said that Pandit Nehru believed he had 56 crore problems, and she said she had 71 crore problems, he alleged. “How can the people of the country be called problems? If there are 80 crore people, then there are 80 crore solutions. This is the difference between us and the Congress,” the PM said. 

He also accused the Congress of holding prejudices against Sikhs, and making derogatory remarks towards Assam. “Congress also had a problem when Bhupen Hazarika was honoured with the Bharat Ratna. Assam will never forget the way the Opposition insulted Bhupen Hazarika," he said. 

Referring to Wednesday's incident of Rahul Gandhi calling MP Ravneet Singh Bittu a “gaddar” , the PM said, “Yesterday, a member of this Parliament was called a traitor…Many people have left Congress, the party has been split several times. But Rahul did not term anyone else a traitor. Our honorable MP was called a traitor because he is a Sikh. It was an insult of Sikhs…and a display of the deep hatred against the Sikhs that is imbibed within the Congress,” the Prime Minister said, adding that it is very unfortunate that Bittu was called a “gaddar” just for changing his political ideologies.

Insulted everyday in Parliament

‘For 25 years, they have insulted me every day in Parliament. They want to dig Modi’s grave because we removed Article 370, freed the Northeast from bombs, guns and terrorism, entered terrorists’ homes in Pakistan and struck back, carried out Operation Sindoor, acted firmly against Naxals, and threw the Indus water agreement into the bin," PM Modi further said. 

During the course of his speech, he also alleged the Gandhi family is under the impression that they have a claim towards the coveted position of the Prime Minister in the country. "They cannot understand how Modi reached here and how he has remained here. That is why they are trying to dig Modi’s grave. They think the post of Prime Minister is their family’s legacy," he said. 

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