NEW DELHI, Feb 6: On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a fierce critique against the Congress party in the Rajya Sabha. He accused them of following a ‘family first’ approach and engaging in appeasement politics, contrasting it with the BJP’s commitment to ‘nation first’ and ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’.
During his response to the debate on the Motion of Thanks concerning the President’s address, he condemned the Congress for exhibiting “hatred and anger” toward B R Ambedkar, arguing that their failure to honor him with recognitions like the ‘Bharat Ratna’ reflects this sentiment.
Modi asserted that the Congress’s lack of respect for Ambedkar has led them to reluctantly say ‘Jai Bhim’ while struggling to express it genuinely.
He criticized the economic policies of the former Congress government, particularly the ‘Licence quota raj’ which he claimed fostered corruption and hindered the country’s economic growth.
Moreover, he stated that the economic mismanagement and wrongdoings of the Congress ‘royal family’ unfairly sullied the reputation of the entire Hindu community worldwide, labeling the slow growth pattern as the ‘Hindu rate of growth’.
Modi further lambasted the Congress for the Emergency era, during which he claimed that the entire opposition was imprisoned, and cited examples of artists, singers, and writers who faced repercussions for not supporting Congress.
Taking a jab at Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders, he pointed out their apparent disregard for the Constitution, recalling how Nehru amended it during his initial provisional government, stifling freedom of speech and expression without waiting for elections.
He emphasized that his administration’s policies focus on ‘Santushtikaran’ (satisfaction) rather than ‘Tushtikaran’ (appeasement), asserting that citizens have recognized, tested, and backed the BJP’s development model.
“‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ (development of all while taking everyone along) is our shared responsibility. It would be a grave error to anticipate ‘Sabka Saath-Sabka Vikas’ from the Congress, as it exceeds their perspective and is not included in their agenda. In Congress’s framework, ‘Family First’ reigns supreme, hence their policies, rhetoric, and conduct revolve around that family alone,” he stated during his 90-minute speech in the Rajya Sabha.
He also called out previous Congress administrations for the sluggish growth rate, attributing it to the restrictions and Licence Raj policies.
“The world labeled this slow growth as the ‘Hindu rate of growth’, a denigration of an entire community. This was a failure due to the incompetence and corruption of those in power, yet it resulted in the entire community being maligned and criticized.
“… its global image suffered due to the economic mismanagement and poor policies of the ‘shahi parivaar’,” Modi remarked.
He asserted that as the nation advances and achieves new developmental milestones, everyone must play a crucial role.
“In a democracy, it is natural to oppose government actions and policies. However, extreme opposition, unwarranted pessimism, and attempts to undermine others without focusing on one’s own framework can become hindrances to our goal of becoming a developed nation. We must disengage from that mindset and engage in continuous self-reflection,” he said.
According to the Prime Minister, it is everyone’s commitment to realize ‘Viksit Bharat’ and not solely the government’s responsibility, emphasizing that the country will distance itself from anyone uninterested in this vision.
Referring to the ‘excesses’ and human rights abuses during the Emergency, he stated that invoking the word Constitution does not resonate with Congress.
For the sake of power and the royal family’s ego, countless families suffered, and the nation was turned into a prison, he claimed.
He expressed that the country is experiencing relief after breaking free from Congress’s grip and is now soaring towards success. “We are advancing Make In India by stepping away from the Licence Raj and the detrimental policies of the Congress,” he asserted.
Addressing opposition to the idea of a Uniform Civil Code, he said, “We are progressing with inspiration from the founders of our Constitution. Some may question the essence of this UCC, but reading the debates from the Constituent Assembly will clarify its significance.”
He emphasized that despite the political implications, the BJP government possesses the resolve to make such decisions and is striving to implement the UCC in accordance with the vision laid out by the Constitution’s architects.
The Prime Minister reiterated that the BJP-led Union government operates under the principle of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’, while accusing the Congress of engaging in vote-bank appeasement.
He asserted that his administration has prioritized the upliftment of the impoverished and stands firmly with the middle class and the emerging “neo-middle class” in the nation.
“Nation first is the BJP’s utmost priority…” Modi stated.
“I proclaim with immense pride… For five to six decades, no alternative model existed for the populace. After a considerable interval, following 2014, the nation witnessed a new development model, which is not predicated on appeasement but rather on ‘santushtikaran’ (satisfaction for all),” he remarked.
“The previous model, particularly under Congress, was fundamentally rooted in appeasement. This became the essence of their political strategy. They catered to small groups while disenfranchising others. During elections, they instilled false hope. Their politics revolved around deceiving the populace,” he elaborated.
Modi stated that the BJP-led government is concentrated on maximizing resource utilization.
“We embraced a saturation approach. All schemes must be delivered to 100 percent, ensuring no one is neglected and pushed towards despair. Over the past decade, we have strived to embody ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ at every level. The results are becoming apparent,” he concluded.
Modi also alleged that efforts are being made to propagate the scourge of casteism.
“For three decades, OBC MPs from various parties incessantly demanded a commission for OBCs, but it was ignored as it perhaps did not align with the Congress’s political agenda at the time. We granted constitutional status to this OBC commission,” Modi contended.
“Whenever reservation discussions arose, they aimed to sow division within the country…” he continued.
“For the first time, we introduced a model providing 10 percent reservation to economically weaker sections without detracting from anyone else’s share. SC, ST, and OBC communities welcomed it without objections,” Modi affirmed.
Additionally, he highlighted the arrests of poet and lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri and actor Balraj Sahni under previous Congress administrations for participating in protests, also mentioning that veteran singer Lata Mangeshkar’s brother was barred from All India Radio for wishing to perform a song dedicated to Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. (Agencies)
