PM Modi started off his speech in the Rajya Sabha by turning the tables on Congress '1/3rd government' jibe with his 20 more years retort and said that nothing could be bigger truth than this.
"A Congress colleague repeatedly said 1/3rd government. We have completed 10 years now and there is 20 more to go. So, we have completed 1/3rd term, 2/3rd remains. So, 'unke muh mein ghee shakkar' for his prophecy," said PM Modi, drawing cheers from the Treasury benches.
During the later part of the speech, PM Modi came down heavily on the Congress over waving booklets of the Constitution and reminded how it abused the supreme rule book and took the democracy for a ride during its rule.
He reminded the party of the dark period of Emergency, belittling the chair of Prime Minister in UPA I and II by 'Super PM' and tearing apart of the Cabinet note by the then Congress MP (Rahul Gandhi).
The Prime Minister underlined that the Constitution is not just a compilation of Articles but its spirit and imprint are extremely valuable.
"It is the Constitution given by Baba Saheb Ambedkar which has allowed people like me, who have zero political lineage, to enter politics and reach such a stage," he said.
PM Modi also recalled that there was a staunch opposition when his government had proposed to commemorate November 26 as the "Constitution Day".
He said that Congress ran its governments on auto-pilot mode, left people to fend for themselves and is now resorting to fake propaganda campaign to mislead and misguide the public.
The Prime Minister added that it is not surprising to see the party 'reducing itself to mere slogan-shouting group'.
PM Modi, further speaking about the achievements and milestones of his government, said that the people of the country voted the NDA to power thrice to achieve the goals of development and reliance through 'Viksit Bharat' and 'Atamnirbhar Bharat'.
"The country has seen its economy rising from tenth to the fifth-largest economy in the last 10 years despite challenges like global disturbances and pandemic. This mandate is to take the economy to third place from the present fifth place," he said.
Speaking about the government's priorities and developmental pitch, PM Modi underlined the importance of strengthening the four pillars of farmers, poor, narishakti and youth and impressed upon the members on how the Kisan Credit Card and PM Kisan Samman Nidhi and Kisan Kalyan Schemes were benefitting crores of farmers.
PM Modi said that his government gave a subsidy of Rs 12 lakh crores for fertilizers to the poor farmers, the highest figure since Independence.
The Prime Minister said that the era of 'ifs and buts' has ceased to exist today as Bharat has gone global and is now welcoming foreign investments which are paving the way for employment opportunities for its youth while also showcasing their potential and talent on an international platform.
He also recalled the time of the 1977 Lok Sabha elections when the press and radio were curtailed and people's voices were muted.
The Prime Minister expressed concern for the tendency to protect the corrupt by certain quarters in the opposition.
Mentioning various scams committed by the various governments run by the opposition parties, the Prime Minister rejected the charge of misusing enforcement agencies. He also criticised double standards in the sphere of the fight against corruption.
"They join ranks with a motive, accuse the Centre of misusing investigative agencies and then plot a conspiracy against their own alliance partners in the states," he said.
Reiterating the President's concern over the recent paper leaks, PM Modi assured the youth that his government is taking strict action against those playing with the future of our country and will not let them go unpunished.
On Manipur, PM Modi reiterated that the government was continuously making efforts to ease the situation in the northeastern state. He added that there were more than 11,000 FIRs lodged and more than 500 wrongdoers were arrested during and after the unrest in Manipur.
"We must acknowledge the fact that the incidents of violence in Manipur are on a continuous downward trajectory and this means that the hope for peace was a definite possibility in Manipur," he emphasised.
--IANS
