New Delhi, Feb 07: Amid a persistent uproar by the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday went ballistic, accusing the Nehru-Gandhi family-led Congress of dividing India in 1947 and claiming that the entire Kashmir would have remained with India if Sardar Ballabh Bhai Patel was the Prime Minister.
Launching a blistering attack during his reply to the motion of thanks on the President’s address, Modi also sought to take away from the Congress its aura of the past when he claimed that India did not get democracy due to Pandit Jawarharlal Nehru.
“You (Congress) broke up India in 1947 and the nation is paying a price even today. Your divisive politics broke up Andhra Pradesh in 2014 and the fire is still raging today,” he said launching a blistering attack soon after he began his address in the House.
Reacting to a series of attacks of the Opposition on his government and its policies, Modi said, “The country was partitioned, the seeds of poison was sown. You divided the country for electoral and petty gains…people are suffering even today.”
If Sardar Vallabhai Patel was India’s first PM, the whole of Jammu and Kashmir would have remained with the country: PM Modi
Ignoring a ruckus by Opposition members, who kept shouting “stop giving false promises”, Modi also lambasted the Congress for brainwashing people into thinking the Congress, and especially Jawaharlal Nehru, brought democracy to India.
“India did not get democracy due to Pandit Nehru, as Congress wants us to believe. Please look at our rich history. There are many examples of rich democratic traditions that date back centuries ago. Democracy is integral to this nation and is in our culture.”
“How did the Congress act in Kerala, how did they treat the Akali Dal in Punjab, how did they behave in Tamil Nadu? Why did Congress dismiss so many state governments at their will? This is no commitment to democracy,” Modi said.
He said for decades, one party devoted all their energy to serving one family and the interests of the nation were looked over .
“To this day, 125 crore Indians are paying the price for your sins, you divided India keeping elections in mind, you closed Parliament’s doors without heeding peoples wishes, the seeds you sowed at that time, its ramifications are being felt to this day,” the PM said.
Speaking on the achievements of incumbent government, PM Modi said: The NDA government has changed the work culture in the nation. Projects are not only being thought about but also being executed in a timely manner
“The NDA government is building more roads than the previous one. We have given a strong boost to the infrastructure sector across the nation. More villages are getting optical fibre network in the last three years than they got previously.”
Employment is increasing but you have closed your eyes as you are busy singing your songs. Atal Bihari Vajpayee said, “Chhote mann se koi bada nahi hota aur toote mann se koi khada nahi hota”
He also criticised the manner in which the previous Congress-led central government handled the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. “When we speak of creating new states, we remember the manner in which Atal Bihari Vajpayee-ji created Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. He showed how farsighted decision-making is done,” he said.
Modi said the Congress “messed up” while dividing Andhra Pradesh, adding, “They did it in a hurry, and without much thought or research.”
About the constant disruption of Parliament session by the Opposition, Modi said, “Opposition has the right to protest but not disrupt.”
The Prime Minister said, “I see that whenever we are criticised by select opposition parties, substance is lacking. They go back to saying; ‘when we were in power…’ This is the same party that divided India.”
“You talk of democracy and try to lecture us? It was your party chief that tore up the paper and threw it in front of the media, it was your party chief that didn’t let young leaders give their points of view, and you preach us democracy,” Modi said in his speech in Lok Sabha.
Narendra Modi said India did not get democracy due to Pandit Nehru, as Congress wants people to believe. “Please look at our rich history. There are many examples of rich democratic traditions that date back centuries ago. Democracy is integral to this nation and is in our culture,” PM said.
Modi said if Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had been the first Prime Minister, a part of Kashmir would not have been under control of Pakistan.
The Prime Minister said: “We cannot forget how the Congress insulted Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, a proud son of Andhra Pradesh. They humiliated him. Nobody in India needs lessons on democracy from the Congress Party.”
Strengthening his attack on Congress, Modi said, “How did the Congress act in Kerala, how did they treat the Akali Dal in Punjab, how did they behave in Tamil Nadu? Why did Congress dismiss so many state governments at their will. This is no commitment to democracy.”
Recalling former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s behaviour towards Congress leader T Anjaiah, Modi said, “When Rajiv Gandhi landed in Hyderabad, how he behaved with a T Anjaiah. He humiliated a big leader, who did not belong to a privileged background.”
