The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today replied to the debate on the motion of thanks on the President’s address, in the Lok Sabha.
He said several Members of Parliament had expressed their thoughts on various subjects, and added that the address by the Honourable President does not belong to any party, but is about the aspirations of every Indian.
When we speak about creating new states, we remember the manner in which Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji created Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, the Prime Minister said, adding that Vajpayee ji had showed how farsighted decision making is done.
Shri Narendra Modi asserted that whenever the Government is criticised by select Opposition parties, substance is lacking. He said that they go back to recalling the time when they were in power. This is the same party that divided India, he added.
He said that for decades, one party devoted all their energies to serving one family. The interests of the nation were overlooked just for the interests of one family, he added. How can one of the leaders say India got democracy due to Pandit Nehru and the Congress Party, he asked. Is this their reading of India's history, what arrogance is this, he added.
The Prime Minister said that India did not get democracy due to Pandit Nehru, as Congress wants us to believe. Exhorting Members to look at our rich history, he said that there are many examples of rich democratic traditions that date back centuries ago. Democracy is integral to this nation and is in our culture, he asserted.
The Prime Minister recalled that once when Shri Rajiv Gandhi had landed in Hyderabad, he misbehaved with a Congress leader Mr. T Anjaiah, humiliating a big leader, who did not belong to a privileged background.
How did the Congress act in Kerala, how did they treat the Akali Dal in Punjab, how did they behave in Tamil Nadu, the Prime Minister asked. Why did Congress dismiss so many state governments at will, he asked, adding that this does not indicate their commitment to democracy.
We cannot forget how the Congress insulted Shri Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, a proud son of Andhra Pradesh, the Prime Minister said. They humiliated him, he asserted. Nobody in India needs lessons on democracy from the Congress Party, he said.
In December, did we witness an 'election' or coronation for the post of Congress President, the Prime Minister asked. He noted that one youngster had raised his voice about this as well.
The Prime Minister said that the NDA Government has changed the work culture in the nation. Projects are not only thought about well but also executed in a timely manner, he said. He asserted that the NDA government is building more roads than the previous one. We have given a strong boost to the infrastructure sector across the nation, he added.
The Prime Minister gave examples of the Bidar-Kalburgi rail line in Karnataka, and the Barmer Refinery in Rajasthan, to explain how BJP Governments at the Centre and the State serve the nation and care for 125 crore Indians.
The Prime Minister said that he sees energy and enthusiasm in our youth. They want to do something on their own, they want to launch their own start-ups, he said, adding that the Government is giving wings to the aspirations of India's middle class. He said the Union Government had prepared an aviation policy that focuses on smaller cities and towns, so that more Indians can fly.
The Prime Minister said that when the Government took office in 2014, the chorus from the opposition was that the UIDAI will be scrapped. He said that when Aadhaar was made more effective in terms of enabling better and effective service delivery, suddenly the opposition began opposing Aadhaar. When the corrupt and middlemen are out of work, obviously the Congress will be unhappy, he said.
Shri Narendra Modi said that India's middle class desires good education facilities, affordable housing, good infrastructure. They want 'Ease of Living' which we are committed to providing, he added.
The Prime Minister said that he is aware that the Government's efforts to eliminate corruption and black money are hurting a select group of people. Today, people who served as Chief Ministers are in jail, he said, adding that however powerful one was, if one has been corrupt, that person will be punished. We are in an era of honesty, he asserted.
The Prime Minister said that the workings of the previous Government are responsible for the NPA mess. The banking policies of the previous Governments were not proper, he said.
The Prime Minister said that the nation's army was fighting in Doklam but leaders of one party preferred to meet Chinese officials. The same party questions the army on surgical strikes, he added.
The Prime Minister asserted that a new India has to be created, and exhorted the Members to work together to fulfil the dreams of the people.
Several members of Parliament expressed their thoughts on various subjects. The address by the Honourable President does not belong to any party. It is about the aspirations of every Indian: PM @narendramodi in the Lok Sabha
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2018
When we speak about creating new states, we remember the manner in which Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji created Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. He showed how farsighted decision making is done: PM @narendramodi in the Lok Sabha https://t.co/0aHXLrts3D
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2018
I see that whenever we are criticised by select Opposition parties, substance is lacking. They go back to saying- when we were in power....
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2018
This is the same party that divided India: PM @narendramodi in the Lok Sabha
For decades, one party devoted all their energies to serving one family. The interests of the nation were looked over just for the interests of one family: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2018
How can one of the leaders say India got a democracy due to Pandit Nehru and the Congress Party? Is this their reading of India's history? What arrogance is this: PM @narendramodi in the Lok Sabha
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2018
India did not get democracy due to Pandit Nehru, as Congress wants us to believe. Please look at our rich history. There are many examples of rich democratic traditions that date back centuries ago. Democracy is integral to this nation and is in our culture: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2018
When Rajiv Gandhi landed in Hyderabad, how did he behave with a Congress leader Mr. T Anjaiah. He humiliated a big leader, who did not belong to a privileged background: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2018
How did the Congress act in Kerala, how did they treat the @Akali_Dal_ in Punjab, how did they behave in Tamil Nadu? Why did Congress dismiss so many state governments at their will. This is no commitment to democracy: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2018
We cannot forget how the Congress insulted Shri Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, a proud son of Andhra Pradesh. They humiliated him. Nobody in India needs lessons on democracy from the Congress Party: PM @narendramodi in the Lok Sabha
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2018
In December, did we witness an 'election' or coronation for the post of Congress President? One youngster raised his voice about this as well: PM @narendramodi in the Lok Sabha
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2018
The NDA Government has changed the work culture in the nation. Projects are not only thought about well but also executed in a timely manner: PM @narendramodi in the Lok Sabha
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2018
The NDA government is building more roads than the previous one. We have given a strong boost to the infrastructure sector across the nation: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2018
More villages are getting optical fibre network in the last three years than they got previously. This is the transformation happening: PM @narendramodi in the Lok Sabha
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2018
Since Kharge Ji spoke about railways and Karnataka, let me tell the truth about the Bidar-Kalburgi rail line. The project was approved by the Vajpayee Government and from 2004 till 2013 nothing was done. It is when a Government under @BSYBJP gave approvals work could begin: PM
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2018
The approvals by the @BSYBJP Government in Karnataka made it possible to work quickly on the rail line. We do not bother who is the local MP or MLA, which party they belong to. We serve the nation and care for 125 crore Indians: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2018
The way people of Rajasthan were misled about the Barmer refinery was appalling. Just for votes, lies were said. It is in the last three years that the Government of India and the Rajasthan Government worked together to sort out the pending issues: PM @narendramodi in LS
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2018
I can see the energy and enthusiasm in our youth. They want to do something on their own, they want to launch their own start-ups. Our Government is giving wings to the aspirations of India's middle class: PM @narendramodi in the Lok Sabha
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2018
Our government had the opportunity to prepare an aviation policy that focuses on smaller cities, towns so that more Indians can fly: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2018
When our Government took office in 2014, the chorus from the opposition was - Modi will scrap @UIDAI but when we made Aadhaar more effective in terms of enabling better and effective service delivery, suddenly the opposition began opposing Aadhaar: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2018
When the corrupt and middlemen are out of work, obviously the Congress will be unhappy: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2018
India's middle class desires good education facilities, affordable housing, good infrastructure. They want 'Ease of Living' which we are committed to providing: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2018
I know the Government's efforts to eliminate corruption & black money are hurting a select group of people. Today, people who served as Chief Ministers are in jail. However powerful one was, if one has been corrupt, that person will be punished. We are in an era of honesty: PM
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2018
The workings of our previous Government are responsible for the NPA mess. They are 100% responsible and nobody else. The banking policies of the previous Governments were not proper. Middlemen were happy, the country was suffering: PM @narendramodi in Lok Sabha
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2018
I have to tell the entire nation about the NPA mess our previous Government created: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2018
Is there any reason why LED bulbs were so expensive till 2014? It was affecting the middle class. The price of LED bulbs today are affordable: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2018
The nation's army was fighting in Doklam but leaders of one party preferred to meet Chinese officials. The same party questions the army on surgical strikes: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2018
We have to create a new India. Let us work together to fulfil the dreams of the people: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2018