KANPUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today lashed out at the opposition parties for disrupting Parliament proceedings during the just concluded winter session and said even behaviour of those who are elected to the municipalities is often better than the manner in which the elected MPs conducted themselves.
“Municipality mein chuney hue log bhi aisa karne sey pachas baar sochte hain (Even those elected to the municipalities rethink before the manner in which the MPs from opposition parties conducted themselves),” Modi said this while addressing a Privartar rally here.
He said the country today stands “divided between two sections” — on the one side those who are standing in support of the corrupt and black money hoarders and on the other “there is an overwhelming section who want to make any sacrifice to fight these menaces”.
“Virodhi dal beimano ko bachaney ke liye ikkathey ho rahe hain (Opposition parties are uniting to back the dishonest and corrupt),” he said in the presence of several key BJP leaders from the state including a senior party leader sitting MP from Kanpur MM Joshi.
“My Government is determined to fight these menaces,” he said adding “I know well how much powerful these people are”.
Targeting Congress, he said while he wanted debate on all issues including demonetisation because “those who ran the Government all these years found it difficult to stomach the truth”.
Referring to the Congress practice about informal management of party funds especially under the then AICC treasurer Sitaram Kesri, he recalled the oft-repeated saying in old Congress circle “Na kitab na bahi, jo chacha kahe woh sahi (Whatever Sitaram Kesri said about party funds was taken as truth).
“Such was the level of accounting of party money,” he said. Prime Minister also lamented that due to disruption by opposition leaders, the winter session of Parliament could not discuss about his (Modi’s) suggestion for simultaneous polls.
The Prime Minister also targeted the Samajawadi Party Govenrment in Uttar Pradesh, saying that those in the Government were encouraging goonda elements, but winds of change were now blowing in the state and the people would no longer tolerate all this.
“These goonda elements, who had now fear of law, will try their best to create all kind of nuisance during the coming elections, but I have full confidence in the honest and good-hearted people (Nekdil log) of UP that they will foil all their designs,” Mr Modi said.
The Prime Minister once again flagged the issue of simultaneous polls of Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, saying he had wanted to debate the issue in Parliament with other political parties but because of Opposition disruption, the discussion could not take place.
Coming to demonetisation, he said the decision had taken the rich by shock, while the poor were all at peace.
After demonetisation, the rich are running from pillar to post and were pleading at the door of the poor to deposit their black money, he said. “Now the small has become suddenly so powerful after this decision.
After withdrawal of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes, the Rs 100 note had become so important, and in the same way small people were today being sought by the rich like nothing else,” Mr Modi said.
Mr Modi said some people had thought that just by putting their black money in the bank they could turn it white, but they were wrong as the Government was working for the poor and would act in the interest of the poor.
“They have made a mistake. Don’t underestimate us. Now you have been trapped,” the Prime Minister said amidst applause from the crowd. The Prime Minister also attacked the Congress for what he called its attempt to malign him on the issue of taxing political donations, saying that he had not changed any law that had been existing since days of the previous regime.
“I am teaching a lesson to those who have so far played with the country’s interest,” he said, adding that he knew that they were very powerful but he had full trust in the people that with their cooperation he would be able to defeat such forces.
The Prime Minister also acknowledged that people were undergoing hardship after demonetisation, which was a “very big decision in such a big country”, but expressed confidence that they would bear with him in the interest of the country.
“The credit for this fight against black money will not go to any Prime Minister or any political party but this will be a victory of honesty,” Mr Modi said, adding that “Yeh desh imaandari ke raste se chalne wala hai”(This country will move ahead only by treading the path of honesty).
The Prime Minister ridiculed the Opposition Congress attack on his digital economy campaign, saying this was the same party which claimed that it was because of Rajiv Gandhi that IT and telecom revolution could be possible, ”But when I want the country to shift to mobile banking, they say there are not enough mobile users in the country.”
The Prime Minister also recounted various achievements of his Government in rural electrification, direct benefit transfer, taking LPG connection to the poor, farm sector, etc, as he wound up his speech in the rally which was in the series of BJP rallies in the run up to UP polls due in February next. (AGENCIES)
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