Day after Rahul Gandhi targeted Narendra Modi over the Adani Group controversy, the Prime Minister on Wednesday took potshots at the Congress leader and his party. However, PM Modi did not give a direct response to Gandhi’s expunged remarks.
Speaking during a debate in the Lok Sabha on President Droupadi Murmu’s Budget session speech, PM Modi in a veiled dig at Gandhi quipped that some people in the House were very happy after yesterday’s speech and the entire “ecosystem” was excited and jubilant with some saying “yeh hui na baat” (this is how it should be) as they cheered.
The Prime Minister the launched a scathing on the Congress recounting all the alleged scams and corruption that happened during the decade-long UPA rule from 2004-2014.
PM Modi in his sharp remarks dubbed the UPA’s 2004-14 rule as “decade of scams and violence”, adding that turning every opportunity into a crisis was the trademark of the Congress-led regime’s 10-year rule.
PM Modi said the opposition was “unable to bear witness” to the country’s progress since they are “absorbed in despair.” He said that inflation before 2014 was off the charts and decade of 2004-14 was the most corrupt since Independence.
The Prime Minister said that terrorism had taken over the entire nation- from Kashmir to Kanyakumari- during the 10 years of UPA rule and nothing but violence was witnessed from Jammu and Kashmir to the northeast, adding that India had become a weak force on the global scene during that decade that its voice was muzzled.
PM Modi said that over the last nine years of BJP rule, instead of constructive criticism that might help the country, the opposition has only managed to muster baseless accusations.
“…those who feel that abusing Modi will solve their problems,” PM Modi quipped in another swipe at Rahul Gandhi amid cheers from BJP members in the House.
Targeting Rahul Gandhi on his Harvard remarks wherein the Wayanad MP had said the US varsity should do a case study on India’s destruction, PM Modi remarked Harvard had already done an “important study” titled ‘The Rise and Decline of India’s Congress Party’, adding that in the near future Congress’s destruction will not only be studied at Harvard but also in other institutions across the world.
However, the Prime Minister did not directly respond to the allegations leveled by Rahul Gandhi in his expunged speech from yesterday.
On Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi, while participating in a debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address in Lok Sabha, claimed that Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani’s fortunes skyrocketed after the BJP came to power in 2014 and he rose from the 609th to the second spot in the global rich list.
Gandhi’s remarks drew a sharp response from Treasury benches, with Law Minister Kiren Rijiju asking him not to level “wild allegations” and to furnish proof of his claims.
BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad had accused Rahul Gandhi of making baseless, shameless and reckless allegations and charged that the Congress and the Gandhi family were involved in “big scams” that “tarnished” the country’s image.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi said that people are inquisitive to know about the relationship shared between the business typhoon and the Prime Minister of India. Gandhi in his address also alleged that rules were neglected or altered in order to benefit Adani and his business.
The Wayanad MP also said that across the states be it Tamil Nadu, Kerala, to Himachal Pradesh, he has been hearing only Adani’s name throughout the country. Gandhi further said that someone asked him that despite entering whichever field, Adani’s business never fails.