In a counterattack to Rahul Gandhi’s controversial speech in the Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a sharp response during his reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address on Tuesday. Modi’s response came a day after Gandhi’s remarks triggered a massive controversy.
Prime Minister Modi urged the Congress party to accept the mandate of the Lok Sabha elections and reflect on their position, rather than claiming moral victories with just 99 of India’s 543 Lok Sabha seats. Using data, humor, and solemn warnings, Modi emphasized the dangers of spreading “anarchy” and misinformation, while also launching a direct attack on Gandhi.
Modi criticized Gandhi’s “balak buddhi [child-like intelligence]” without naming him directly, stating, “Yesterday, we saw childish behaviour in the House. Speaker sir… you endure everything with a smile, but something has to be done about yesterday. Otherwise, it will not be good for Parliament… these attempts should not be ignored… There is a deeper conspiracy.”
The Prime Minister called for “strict action against these lies” propagated by Gandhi, particularly targeting his statements on the MSP for farmers and the Agniveer scheme for military recruits. Modi accused the Congress leader of creating “drama for sympathy” and claimed the Opposition was spreading falsehoods about electronic voting machines, the Rafael deal, and the economy.
Addressing the 2024 election results, Modi pointed out that it was the first time the Congress failed to secure 100 seats in three consecutive elections. In contrast, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 240 seats—32 short of a majority—while the National Democratic Alliance, including the BJP, secured a comfortable majority with 293 seats, paving the way for Modi’s historic third term. Despite this, the Congress and its allies claimed a “moral victory” due to an improved performance compared to the 2014 and 2019 elections.
In his speech, Modi shared several anecdotes to underscore his points. He likened the Congress’s behaviour to a child who falls off a bicycle and is consoled by elders, or a child distributing sweets after scoring 99 marks out of 543. Another story depicted a child who cried after being beaten up but failed to mention that he had stolen tiffin from others. These anecdotes aimed to illustrate the Congress’s perceived attempts to mask their shortcomings.
Modi also addressed the Congress’s political allies, labelling the Congress a “parasite party” that flourishes at the expense of others. He argued that most of the Congress’s seats were ‘gifted’ by their allies, highlighting the party’s reliance on coalition partners for electoral success.
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