Parliament LIVE | We must fulfil Viksit Bharat dream together: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, replying to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address in Lok Sabha on Tuesday (February 4), tore into the Opposition savagely, taking sly digs at the Gandhi family, especially Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal. He did not even spare deceased former prime ministers from the Congress, Rajiv Gandhi and Manmohan Singh.

Attack on Rahul

Without naming Rahul, Modi took a swipe at him for his reaction to the President’s address, saying those who entertain themselves by getting photo sessions done in huts of the poor would find the talk about the poor in Parliament “boring”.

Also read: Budget Session | How Rahul Gandhi has rattled BJP with his new-found narrative

Also without naming him, Modi said some people were 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.

“Those who walk around with Constitution in their pockets 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.

Dig at Kejriwal, former PMs

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. A day before the Delhi assembly polls, Modi said “some parties are like ‘AAP-da’ for the future of the youth”. He also asserted that while his government’s schemes saved lot of money, it was not used to build ‘Sheesh Mahal’.

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 the needs of the 20th century.

Modi also took a dig at former prime minister Manmohan Singh who died in December last year. “Our country had a PM who was called ‘Mr Clean’. He said if Rs 1 is generated in Delhi, 15 paise reaches the villages. At that time one party ruled from the panchayat to Parliament. It was a terrific sleight of hand. It is anybody’s guess to whom the 15 paise went,” Modi said.

Rahul's speech

Modi’s speech came a day after Rahul’s fiery speech in Lok Sabha. The BJP has slammed him for making “false and objectionable” claims and said the Leader of Opposition displayed his love for China by taking the name of the country 35 times in his speech.

Speaking during a debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address, Rahul said an INDIA bloc government would not have sent its foreign minister to the US to seek an invite for the prime minister to attend the American president’s “coronation”.

He also alleged that about 70 lakh voters, equivalent to the population of Himachal Pradesh, were added to the electoral rolls in Maharashtra between the Lok Sabha and the state assembly polls, and demanded the Election Commission furnish data to the opposition parties in the state.

On Tuesday, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey urged the Lok Sabha Speaker to initiate a breach of privilege motion against Rahul.

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