LS: PM Modi says his govt gave true development to poor, not false slogans

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asserted that his government has provided true development to the poor, not empty slogans.
In an obvious but indirect reference to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), he said that some parties promise many things during elections but this group is an ‘AAP-da’ on the future of the youth.
Replying to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address, he said that it is only the third term for his government and they will continue to work for many, many years for a Viksit Bharat.
“For five decades we have heard the slogan of Garibi Hatao and now we have pulled out 25 crore people out of poverty,” said the Prime Minister in the Lok Sabha during his nearly 100-minute-long address.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi spoke on Monday in the Lok Sabha, criticising the BJP-led government over its “failed” Make in India policy among other issues.
Taking a veiled jibe at former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, PM Modi said that some leaders only focussed on “jacuzzis and stylish showers” while the BJP prioritised making water available in every household.
On the eve of Delhi Assembly polls, PM Modi revived his ‘sheeshmahal’ jibe, targeting the former Delhi Chief Minister. Attacking him over corruption charges, the Prime Minister said that he focussed on building houses for the poor while others were building sheeshmahal, referring to the alleged lavish renovation of the Delhi Chief Minister’s bungalow during Arvind Kejriwal’s tenure.
PM Modi turned his attention to the Congress and said that the party’s ‘Garibi Hatao’ slogan, which reverberated in the country for nearly five decades, had failed. Instead, PM Modi said, the BJP-led Central government uplifted nearly 25 crore people out of poverty.
He said that four crore houses were built for the poor and over 12 crore toilets were built to “ease the lives of women”.
After 75 years of independence, nearly 16 crore households did not have a tap connection for water. Our government provided ‘Nal Se Jal’ to 12 crore households in five years,” PM Modi said.
Accusing Rahul Gandhi over his “boring’’ remark on the President’s address, he said those who entertain themselves by having photo sessions in ‘jhuggis’ would find the mention of the poor in Parliament boring.
In his counter-offensive against the Opposition, PM Modi excoriated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi saying those speaking of “declaring a war on the Indian State” can appreciate neither Constitution nor national unity.
Countering Rahul Gandhi’s bid to corner the ruling dispensation over its alleged neglect of the interests of the weaker sections of society, PM Modi asked if at any point of time three members of a Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes family have served as MPs together.
His point was aimed at the Gandhi family as their three members, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul and Priyanka, are currently MPs. He also accused Gandhi of openly speaking the language of urban naxals and said it is the country’s misfortune.
Without raising any tension in the society, his government has worked the welfare of disadvantaged sections while keeping people united, Modi said, asserting that more opportunities have been created for them in every field.
It has become a fashion for some leaders to talk of castes, he said touching on Gandhi’s pet issue of caste census, adding that the MBBS seats available for SC, ST and OBC students have risen from 7,700 to 17,000, from 3,800 to 9,000 and from 14,000 to 32,000 respectively as the number of medical colleges jumped to 780 from 387 under his government.
He also asserted that his government saved lakhs of crores of rupees since 2014, including over Rs 3 lakh crore by striking off over 10 crore fake beneficiaries of welfare schemes, and used the money for nation-building.
The Prime Minister also criticised Sonia Gandhi’s “poor thing” comments for President Droupadi Murmu following her address on January 31 as insulting to the “daughter of a poor family” and slammed such mindset.
His government, Modi said, included the leader of the largest opposition party in selection process for important functionaries even when there was no recognised opposition after the 2014 polls. It has now made a law so that the Leader of the Opposition becomes a member of the panel to select election commissioners, he added.
Modi said Murmu’s speech has infused new confidence in the goal of building ‘Viksit Bharat’ and inspired people as he noted that people have given him 14th opportunity to reply to the Motion on a President’s Address.
Modi invoked his own humble background to assert that when a person, who is connected to the ground, understands the ground reality and lives his life on the ground, spends his life for the poor, then changes follow.
Over Rs 40 lakh crore was credited to people’s bank accounts directly by his government, he added.
Against the earlier politics of appeasement, his government has worked to ensure that its benefits reach every by following the politics of satisfaction, Modi said and recalled the BJP’s big victories in Haryana and Maharashtra assembly polls to underscore the popular trust it enjoys.