NEW DELHI, Feb 4: In a scathing attack on Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said some people are openly speaking the language of urban naxals and asserted that those who “declare a war” against the Indian State can neither understand the Constitution nor about the country’s unity.
He also took a dig at Arvind Kejriwal and AAP a day before the Delhi assembly polls, saying “some parties are like ‘AAP-da’ for the future of the youth”.
Modi asserted that while his government’s schemes saved lot of money, it was not used to build ‘Sheesh Mahal’.
Replying to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address in Lok Sabha, he made several veiled attacks at former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, saying those who entertain themselves by getting photo sessions done in huts of the poor will find the talk about the poor in Parliament boring.
“Those who walk around with pockets in Constitution, do they know how they forced Muslim women to live in hardship. We brought in the triple talaq law to give right to them,” Modi said.
“Today some people are openly speaking the language of urban naxals. The things that urban naxals say (are being said). These people who speak the language of urban naxals, who declare war against the Indian State, can neither understand the Constitution nor about the country’s unity,” Modi said.
Though Modi did not name anyone, his remarks were an apparent reference to Gandhi’s comments last month that “we are now fighting the BJP, the RSS and the Indian State itself”.
In a veiled jibe at AAP convenor Kejriwal, Modi said some leaders focus on jacuzzi and stylish showers while his government’s focus of providing water to every household.
He also said that “some parties are like AAP-da for the future of the youth” as they promise various kinds of doles at the type of elections but never fulfil them.
“Some government schemes saved lot of money, but we did not use it to build ‘Sheesh Mahal’,” Modi said.
Without naming Gandhi, Modi took a swipe at him for his reaction on the President’s address, saying those who entertain themselves by getting photo sessions done in huts of the poor will find the talk about the poor in Parliament boring.
Soon after the President delivered her address to a joint sitting of Parliament on January 31, Sonia Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were seen discussing the speech in the Parliament complex. During the discussion, Rahul Gandhi was heard asking Sonia Gandhi if the President’s speech was “boring”.
“We did not give false slogans, but real development to people,” Modi said.
“Till five decades, slogans of ‘garibi hatao’ were heard and now 25 crore poor have come out of poverty,” he said.
He said till now poor people have got 4 crore house.
“The one who has lived that kind of life knows what it means to have a house with a proper roof,” Modi said.
“Pain of poor, troubles of common man, cannot be understood just like that; it requires passion and some just don’t have it,” he said in a swipe at the opposition.
“We live by the spirit of the Constitution and do not resort to politics of poison,” he said.
In a dig at former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, Modi said a PM who used to chant ‘21st century’ was so far from reality that he was unable to provide for needs of 20th century.
Modi also hailed his government’s decisions in the Budget.
In 2002, there was no tax on incomes of up to Rs 2 lakh and now there is no income tax on earnings up to Rs 12 lakh, he pointed out.
Modi said his government started the Ayushman Bharat for poor, but some states have stalled the scheme, leaving poor people in hardship. (PTI)
PM to visit Maha Kumbh Mela today
NEW DELHI, Feb 4: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj on Wednesday and take a holy dip at the Sangam around 11 am, his office said.
Maha Kumbh 2025, which commenced on Paush Purnima (January 13), is the world’s largest spiritual and cultural gathering, attracting devotees from across the globe. It will continue until Mahashivratri on February 26, a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office said on Tuesday.
Modi will visit the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 on February 5 and take a dip at the Sangam and offer prayers to Maa Ganga around 11 am, it said.In line with his commitment to promote and preserve India’s spiritual and cultural heritage, Modi has consistently taken proactive steps to enhance infrastructure and facilities at pilgrimage sites, the statement said.
During his visit to Prayagraj earlier on December 13, 2024, Modi inaugurated 167 development projects worth Rs 5,500 crore, improving connectivity.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was in Prayagraj and the Maha Kumbh Mela area on Tuesday ahead of the prime minister’s visit. (PTI)
Priyanka Gandhi slams PM Modi’s speech
NEW DELHI, Feb 4: Opposition leaders on Tuesday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address in the Lok Sabha with Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra stating it seemed from his speech that he has lost his connect with people and their needs.
Replying to the two-day discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the president’s address, Prime Minister Modi hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying those speaking of fighting the Indian state can appreciate neither the Constitution nor national unity as he launched a counter-offensive in Lok Sabha against the Opposition.
Asked about the PM’s remarks, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi said, “I think he has lost his connect with people and their needs. This is what it seemed from his speech.” Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also hit out at Modi, saying he made a “typical election speech”.
“It was a typical election speech with the Delhi elections tomorrow. Just a long laundry list of things the government has done. What is surprising is that, the opposition had raised very specific criticisms of the president’s address and those criticisms were not answered by the prime minister,” Tharoor said.
“There were a few political statements which I think the nation could have done without, there are very many avenues for politics, this is about the president’s address to the nation, agenda of the nation and the response of the prime minister, that was unfortunately missing,” the Congress leader told outside Parliament.Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav expressed disappointment with no mention of the Kumbh stampede.“It is very saddening that when such a big incident has happened in Kumbh…It is not about the opposition, the whole country saw the incident that had happened in Kumbh. The government was earlier hiding figures of injured and those who have been deceased and now no homage was paid today, I had requested for two-minute silence,” he said.
Taking a dig at the PM, Yadav said he has concern for toys but his government does not care for lives of people.TMC MP Saugata Roy said that he was very dissatisfied with the PM’s speech.“He (Modi) made a repetition of what the president had said in her speech. He did not answer a single question raised by the opposition. For instance, about the number of deaths in the Kumbh, about our technological deficit vis-a-vis China, the situation in Bangladesh where Bengali Hindus are in a problem,” he said. (PTI)