New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday began his reply to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address amid ruckus and mounting protest by the opposition.
A day before, while speaking in the Lok Sabha Wednesday during his reply to President Droupadi Murmu’s pre-Budget speech, the prime minister ignored the opposition’s demand for a probe into charges of financial malfeasance against Adani Group brought by American short-seller Hindenburg Research.
Instead in a blistering attack, he dismissed the Congress-led UPA’s rule from 2004 to 2014 as “a lost decade” and a period of scams and violence, while 2020 to 2030 was “India’s decade”, he said.
Here are the highlights:
3:30 pm: Citing media report, PM Modi says there are more than 600 schemes in name of Gandhi-Nehru family.
He then makes a veiled dig at the Gandhis, saying “If Nehru was such a great person, why the family shies away from using the surname”.
3:15 pm: The prime minister claims that Opposition is using half truths to “create new narratives and spread falsehood”.
3:12 pm: PM Modi criticises the opposition again, alleges them of being against science and technology. He says that attempts being made to show Indian scientists in bad light who produced indigenous vaccine in Covid times.
“They are not bothered about country, but only about their politics,” he says.
“We do not believe in tokenism, we are working hard to take country forward through science and technology,” he remarks.
3:10pm: The prime minister lists out details of work being done for farmers, underscoring that his government is working for the welfare of small and marginal farmers.
“Contribution of women should increase in decision making, our government working on their empowerment,” he says, adding that his government has built 11 crore toilets.
3:05 pm: PM Modi attacks Congress, claims their economic, social and political policies were “based on vote bank politics”.
3:00 pm: As the PM’s speech nears an hour, he shifts focus on tribals, saying they were deprived of development for decades and states that there was trust deficit.
“Had they (Congress) worked with right intentions towards tribals, in 21st century, I wouldn’t have had to work so hard for them. During Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s govt, for the first time a separate ministry for the welfare of tribals… for the first separate budget for tribals was made,” he says.
2:54 pm: PM Modi says people have rejected Congress party and punished them from time to time.
“When government machinery wants to reach every person then there can be no discrimination. This is the true guarantee of social justice, true secularism. We are giving the country this model of development, where everyone gets their rights. The country is with us. It is rejecting Congress again and again. The country watches Congress and its friends and punishes them,” the prime minister notes.
2:50 pm: PM Modi pledges to achieve 100 per cent saturation in all schemes by putting “an end to all kind of appeasement”.
2:45 pm: Merely expressing intent doesn’t work, what matters is speed, direction and result of developments ushered in, says PM Modi.
He underlines that the government “decided to achieve saturation levels in schemes to benefit everyone during ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal”, and describes it as “true secularism”.
2:40 pm: PM Modi says Rs 27 lakh crore were sent to beneficiaries through DBT using ‘Jan Dhan Aadhar Mobile’ trinity in last few years.
He emphasises that his government delivered gas connections to over 32 crore families.
2:35 pm: The prime minister highlights that 48 crore bank accounts were opened in last 9 years, in contrast to more than half of the population living without banking facilities till 2014.
2:30 pm: PM Modi continues to mount attack on Congress, says they developed a culture where no problem was permanently solved.
“They had different priorities because of which permanent solution for none of the problems was found. Today we are moving towards permanent solution of things. There was a time when even one handpump in a village was celebrated for a week. Since Independence till the time we came in power, only 3 crore homes got portable water. Our govt has extended potable water supply to 11 crore houses in last 3-4 years against only 3 crore pre-2014: PM Modi,” says the prime minister.
2:25 pm: PM Modi hits out at Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, saying the Congress chief said that in 60 years the party was laying ‘a strong foundation.’
“In 2014 when I saw things carefully. I found that in 60 years, Congress had made potholes everywhere. They might have wanted to lay strong foundation. They wasted six decades. At that even smaller nations were touching the pinnacle of success,” PM Modi says.
2:22 pm: PM Modi takes swipe at protesting opposition members, saying their acts help BJP flourish further.
“Kichad uske paas tha, mere paas gulal. Jo jiske paas tha usne diya uchal,” (They had mud while I had coloured powders. Each threw whatever they had), says PM Modi.
2:20 pm: Opposition members disrupt PM Modi’s speech, troop in Well of the House demanding JPC probe into allegations against Adani Group.
2:15 pm: “The country listens to this House very seriously and takes things seriously. In this important House, words of few people disregard the the country,” PM Modi attacks Opposition.
2:10 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins speech amidst ruckus and opposition protest. Chants of ‘Modi-Adani Bhai Bhai’ and ‘JPC se jaanch karao’ echo in the House.
1:00 pm: The BJP issued a three-line whip to all the Lok Sabha MPs to remain present in the House, during the budget session till 13 February.
12:30 pm: The PM never faces the media because he doesn’t want to listen to uncomfortable questions. Rahul Gandhi’s questions were uncomfortable. PM doesn’t have any answer at his disposal to refute every charge by Rahul Gandhi, said Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
12:00 pm: AAP and BRS MPs protesting in front of Gandhi statue to demand a JPC probe pertaining to Adani-Hindenburg row.
Parliament, Delhi | AAP and BRS MPs protest in front of Gandhi statue to demand a JPC probe pertaining to Adani row. pic.twitter.com/HoJKR67UGg
— ANI (@ANI) February 9, 2023
11:30 am: Expunging of words should be done after considering all rules. We’ve also studied the rules as to what words they can’t expunge. I’ve given them a 3-page reply and maybe they will be satisfied after that, said Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on expunging of some remarks made by Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha.