In an exhaustive, almost two-hour-long address laced heavily with political polemic in the election season and a frontal attack on the Congress whom he labelled as the “tukde-tukde gang”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted on Monday that the Government has tackled the pandemic-induced economic crisis with sincerity and ushered in the “Amrit Kaal”, a new golden age for India.
Prime Minister, while participating in the Lok Sabha debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s address, blamed the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for “instigating” migrants to defy Covid norms and flee the cities.
“The Congress crossed all limits, they committed a sin to create a havoc during the pandemic.... There is another party that still rules Delhi which tied a loudspeaker on a jeep and scared people into leaving the city,” he said, amid loud protests from the Congress rows, taunting the leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary about the Rahul Gandhi’s absence.
“Some people in the Congress were hoping that the Corona pandemic would tarnish me and sink the BJP Government,” the PM said, adding, “The fact is, you cannot live without Modi for a moment. But you also cannot do anything besides destroying yourself because India has fought the pandemic and emerged victorious.”
On welfare schemes
The PM proceeded to underline all the welfare schemes, underlining the Ujjawala Yojna, free rations, direct cash transfers, roads, infrastructure” and mocked at the Congress’s erstwhile “Garibi Hatao” slogan. “You were removing poverty for 40 years, now the poor have removed you. They have understood that a new age has come... You learn from History or you will become History,” he said.
The PM underlined the government’s New Welfarism model as also the steps taken to improve the lot of the small farmers, accusing the Congress of neglecting them for decades. “For India’s progress, it is important to empower the small farmer. The small farmer will strengthen India’s progress,” he said.
He added that the PM Gati Shakti presents a holistic approach to solve our infrastructure challenges. “Our emphasis is on proper connectivity. PM Gati Shakti will reduce logistics costs and this will benefit local industries,” he added.
Countering the Opposition’s criticism that the Centre failed to counter price rise, Modi said India had to face double-digit inflation during UPA years, and the previous Congress governments blamed international reasons for inflation and took no action. “Despite Covid, we ensured inflation did not go out of control; food inflation remained below five per cent. Had Congress been in power today, it would have blamed Covid for rising inflation and moved ahead. But we are not the ones who run away from responsibility,” he said, quoting Jawaharlal Nehru. “You accuse me of not mentioning Panditji ever, I will satisfy you today. It was he who said a war in South Korea can raise prices. Developments in the US can raise prices here. I am not saying it, it was him, India’s first Prime Minister who said it.
On new economy
The PM hailed the new economy, the tech-driven sectors and slammed the Congress for comparing industrialists to coronavirus. “This is your limit, you compare our hard-working people bringing in prosperity to coronavirus,” he quipped. The PM said before 2014, there 500 start-ups in India and the number is now in thousands. “We are the third largest in the world today, the number of Unicorns will hit a century soon,” he said.