'Neither Rajnath Nor Shah...': In Last Speech to Lok Sabha, PM Slams 'Dynasts'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, 5 February, addressed the Lok Sabha slamming the Opposition for 'failing as an Opposition.'

"They (Opposition) failed to fulfill their responsibility as the Opposition...I have always said that the country needs a good Opposition," he said.

Addressing the House, PM Modi slammed dynasty politics.

"The party that is run by a family, the party in which only one family is promoted, that is the dynasty politics I am referring to. Neither Amit Shah or Rajnath Singh have a political party," PM Modi said.

Here key quotes from the Prime Minister's address:

• "I appreciate the Opposition's resolve to remain in the Opposition for a long time. The way you sat this side for decades, you have the same resolve be on the other side."

• Taking a jibe at the Congress, he said: "In your quest to launch the same product over and over again, the Congress' shop is about to be locked."

• "Looking at the past 10 years of governance and looking at the strength of the economy and the speed of growth, I can confidently say that India will be the third largest economic power in our third term."

• "We constructed 4 crore houses for the poor. For the urban poor, we built 80 lakh houses. Had the Congress worked on it with the speed at which it was, it would have taken 100 years."

• Taking a jibe at the INDIA bloc, he said: "The alignment of the alliance is off."

• On Opposition's accusations against government using probe agencies, PM Modi said these agencies are independent. He also said, "The country is shocked seeing the stacks of cash being recovered…"

In the same speech, while targeting the Gandhi-Nehru family, PM Modi claimed that former PM Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi believed that Indians were not hard working, and very easily gave in to complacency and hopelessness.

Further quoting Nehru, he said in Hindi, “Let me read out what Nehru said from the Red Fort on Independence Day. He said, ‘Indians are not used to working hard. We don’t work as hard as people in Europe or Japan or China or Russia do. These communities have become prosperous through their hard work and intelligence.’ So, Nehru was giving certificates to other countries, while looking down on Indians. He thought Indians were lazy and lacking in intelligence. Indira’s beliefs were no different."

"Unfortunately, when a good task is about to be completed, we get complacent, and when a difficulty arises, we lose hope. Sometimes, the entire country seems to have accepted a defeatist attitude." he said, quoting former PM Indira Gandhi.

'Arrogance, Political Speech': Opposition on PM's Speech

Replying to PM Modi's speech, Congress MP K Suresh said, "It's a political speech. He is always attacking Congress, UPA govt and Nehru. He ignored what the common people are facing..."

Meanwhile, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said, "PM's words made it seem that he was replying to what Mallikarjun Kharge elaborated on in Rajya Sabha regarding the work of UPA. The difference is that Mallikarjun Kharge maintained the sanctity of his positions as well as that of the House. PM expressed bitterness and arrogance in his words, this reminded me of what Rahul Gandhi had said in the House - Ravan was defeated by his arrogance...Blinded by arrogance, this Maharaja's government didn't see rising inflation or the fire in Manipur...He arrogantly accused Congress, that is what we had expected of him," as quoted by news agency ANI.

Moreover, MP Danish Ali said, "PM's address was full of pride, which does not suit the post he is sitting on. How can you make fun of the first Prime Minister, Pt Jawaharlal Nehru? You have no history. Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru stayed in British prisons for 9 years, whereas your ancestors kept apologising to the British, and then were designated as 'Veer'. You talk about dynastic politics but cannot see the same in your party... He never said a word about Manipur, the minorities, or women throughout his speech."