"Alliances have been a part of our political history and negative alliances have not worked in India. The NDA was not formed against any party, or to remove any party,” said PM Modi in his address at the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting on Tuesday, 18 July.
The PM remarked that the genesis of the NDA was not against any party or removing any party. "Hamare liye gathbandhan majboori nahi majbooti ka madhyam hai.” (For NDA, the coalition is not a symbol of ompulsion but the symbol of coalition and contribution),” he added.
The NDA meeting on Tuesday saw the participation of 36 parties, including the BJP. The invitation to attend the NDA meeting was not extended to the BJP’s former alliance partner Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the YSRCP.
The meeting was held on the same day that 26 Opposition parties met in Bengaluru and announced the name of their alliance as Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance or INDIA for short.
Modi began his address by remembering the alliance's veteran leaders such as LK Advani, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and Balasaheb Thackeray, amongst others.
Here are the other top quotes from the prime minister’s address at the NDA meeting:
Key Highlights of PM Modi's Speech at NDA Meeting
Recalling the NDA's time in the Opposition, PM Modi said, "Even when we were in the opposition, we always did positive politics. In opposition, we brought out scams of the then govts but never insulted the mandate of the people. We never took the help of foreign powers against the ruling governments. We never created hurdles in development schemes meant for the country."
He further said that the Opposition’s goal has become to “abuse us, put us down.”
"It is the NDA government that awarded the Bharat Ratna to Pranab Mukherjee, who was in the Congress, lifelong. We gave him this honour without any hesitation. It is the NDA that awarded Mulayam Yadav, Sharad Pawar, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Muzaffar Beg who have different ideologies and are against us, the Padma Samaan," Modi said.
On the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Modi said, “The people have made up their mind to give the mandate to the NDA for the third time. In 2024, the NDA will get a vote share above 50% because of the hard-work of all the members.”
"For their political interests, these (Opposition) people can come close but cannot come together," he added.
Ahead of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting scheduled to be held on Tuesday, 18 July, Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed the Opposition alliance, terming it one of "corruption and dynasty politics."
At least 20 like-minded Opposition parties arrived in Bengaluru on Monday, 17 July, to attend their second meeting to discuss the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. On the same day, BJP president JP Nadda announced that 38 parties of the NDA will attend a meeting in Delhi on Tuesday.
Speaking ahead of the NDA meeting, PM Modi said: "For the 26 for '24, the label is something else, the condition is something else. The truth is different from the song being sung. There are two guarantees offered at these shops – casteism and corruption. They have gathered in Bengaluru. I remember a song called 'Ek chehre pe kai chehre'."
"When they all appear in one frame, the nation only sees corruption. People call it an alliance of corruption," he added.
'Special Treatment for Corrupt Leaders'
The PM further said that the Opposition alliance has another "specialty." "If there is somebody involved in a multi-crore scam, he is given special treatment. If the family is involved in corruption, they get even better treatment. If any current minister is jailed, he is invited as a special guest," he said.
Taking a jibe at Rahul Gandhi, PM Modi said: "If somebody humiliates an entire community, he is given special hospitality."
"The owners of this shop of corruption are staunch supporters of dynasty politics," he added.
"A democracy is of the people, for the people, by the people. But the dynasts have only one policy – of the family, by the family, for the family. Family first, nation nothing is their moto and inspiration," he said.
Further alleging that dynasty politics never did right by the youth of the nation, he said: "Nafrat hai, ghotale hai, tushtikaran hai, mann kaale hain...(there is hate, scams, appeasement and black hearts)," he said.
'Oppn Parties Silent on Poll Violence'
Slamming the poll violence during the recent Panchayat elections in West Bengal, PM Modi said that the Opposition parties chose to "remain silent" on the issue.
"You must have seen what happened during Panchayat elections in West Bengal. All parties are silent on it. The leaders of the Congress and Left parties over there were calling for help to save them. But for their own selfish motives, the Congress and Left leaders have left their party workers to die."
"Be it atrocities against women or paper leaks in Rajasthan, they don't see it any of it. When some leaders resort to multi-crore scams for liquor, the alliance shields them," he added.
"You see what's happening in Tamil Nadu, so many scams are coming forward. But all parties of this alliance have already given a clean chit to all," PM Modi said.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)