You have sinned: PM Modi attacks Congress as anti-Constitution, anti-Dalit; calls on INDIA bloc allies to complain about their opportunism | India News

I don’t understand the joy of the Congress. Is it because of a hat-trick of defeats, a nervous exit in the 90s or another failed launch? Even Kharge ji seemed excited. But I think he has served his party a lot. He has stood like a wall so that the burden of defeat does not fall where it should. The Congress has this tradition of supporting a Dalit to take the blame for the defeat and the family runs away. They did the same thing for the election of presidents. They did the same thing for Meira Kumar in the presidential election and for Sushil Kumar Shinde in a vice-presidential election. Their mindset is anti-SC, ST and OBC. They insulted Ram Nath Kovind as president because of this and they are insulting the current one as well. [President] Draupadi Murmu these days, Prime Minister Modi said in his reply to the motion of thanks on the President's address.

Modi accused the Congress of being against the Constitution. “They said this is the first time that the Constitution was the main issue in the elections. Have they forgotten that the 1977 elections were to save democracy and the Constitution and the voters of that time showed that democracy runs in their veins? And even if these elections were to protect the Constitution, the voters found us capable of doing so. They think that we are the only ones who can protect the Constitution.”

Modi added, “When Kharge ji says all this, it is painful. He has seen the Emergency when democracy was destroyed and he is a Congressman. I have seen the Emergency from close quarters. Which Constitution made you extend the term of the Lok Sabha to seven years at that time? They amended many articles, destroying the soul of the Constitution. This amendment was called a mini-Constitution. You have sinned, the word Constitution does not suit you.”

Modi also accused the opposition of protesting against his government's decision in its first term to observe November 26 as Constitution Day, adding: “We must decide to hold public celebrations of the Constitution on its 75th year across the country to spread awareness about the Constitution.”

When Kharge ji was in the Cabinet in the last government, under which Constitution did you place the NAC (National Advisory Council) above the PMO? You destroyed the dignity of the office of Prime Minister. Which Constitution allowed an MP (a veiled reference to Rahul) to tear up an ordinance approved by the Cabinet? How was a family given priority in protocol? You lived by slogans that India is Indira and Indira is India, and you never respected the Constitution. The Congress is the biggest opponent of the Constitution, Modi said, accusing it of giving priority to a family at the cost of the Constitution.

Opposition leaders stood up from their seats as Prime Minister Modi spoke, raising slogans demanding that Kharge be allowed to speak. However, as permission was not granted, the opposition left the hall while Modi was speaking, prompting Speaker Jagdeep Dhankhar to say that he was saddened that the opposition had insulted the Constitution by leaving the hall.

Prime Minister Modi said that since the opposition was badly beaten, it chose to scream, shout and run away. It was so badly beaten that it has nothing to do but scream, shout and run away from the House. Its activities yesterday failed, so it ran away today. I am not here to score points. I am a sevak of the people and I believe I should inform them of whatever I have done, Modi said.

Modi also attacked Congress’s INDIA bloc allies who fought against the Emergency but are now standing with the grand party, saying, “There are people sitting with them today who have borne the brunt of the Emergency. This is opportunism. If they had respected the Constitution, they would not have done this. The Emergency was also a human rights crisis. Many people were tortured.” [Jayaprakash Narayan] He was never able to recover from his situation after his release from prison. Even ordinary people were not spared.

Hitting out at parties like the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) for their concern for minorities, Modi asked: “Do these parties who talk about minorities with them say anything about what happened in Muzaffarnagar and Turkman Gate? How will the country forgive them? They are hiding their dark deeds by keeping the Constitution in their hands.” He was referring to the killing of 50 people during a sterilisation drive in Muzaffarnagar and the bulldozing of Turkman Gate slums, where people were killed in clashes with the police.

Modi criticised the Congress for defending the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was sent to jail for corruption, pointing out that Congress leaders in Delhi had accused the AAP of liquor scam. The AAP commits corruption, the AAP indulges in liquor and water scams. The Congress then complains about them and drags them to court. And when they are sent to jail, the Congress insults Modi. Congress leaders have been addressing press conferences accusing the AAP of corruption. Can they tell us today whether the evidence they have presented is correct or false? They are hypocrites.

He recalled that the allies of the INDIA bloc had pointed fingers at the investigation agencies when the Congress was in power. In 2013, Mulayam Singh Yadav said that it was not easy to fight the Congress as it would put you in jail as it misuses the ED [Enforcement Directorate]CBI [Central Bureau of Investigation] and that [income tax] Department. I would like to ask Ram Gopal Yadav whether Netaji lied? Please tell your nephew who unleashed the CBI on him when he entered politics. CPI(M)'s Prakash Karat had said in 2013 that the Congress had misused agencies against political opponents. The Supreme Court had said that the CBI was a pigeon in a cage during the UPA era, he said.

Modi said he would not give up on the agencies' action against opposition politicians: “I am fighting corruption out of a mission and conviction, not for political gain. I consider it a sacred work. I have given the agencies a free hand to take stringent action against the corrupt. The government will not interfere. I want them to work honestly and for honesty. That no corrupt person escapes the law is Modi's guarantee.”

Taking a dig at Congress leader Jairam Ramesh for calling him prime minister, Modi said: “I also want to thank the friends of the Congress. Some have been saying all the time that they are the third party government. What greater truth can there be that we have completed 10 years, 20 more to go.”

Asserting that he would take India to the third largest economy in the world during his term, Modi said, “There are some wise people who think this is inevitable. These people,” he added, “were used to autopilot or remote piloting of governments and did not believe in hard work, while he never shied away from hard work. What we have done in 10 years is just the starter. The main course begins now,” Modi said.

Suggesting a willingness to take bold decisions in future, Modi said, “The countries that got independence with us have gone ahead of us. The countries that reformed in the 1980s have developed. We should not be afraid of reforms, thinking that governments can fall if they are undertaken. There is no need to stay in power. We may have fallen behind, but we have to deliver on our commitment.” He urged states to seize the opportunity as the world is ready to invest in India.