Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday cited passages from the speeches of former Prime Ministers and Congress leaders Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi accusing them of belittling Indians and considering themselves as emperors after Independence.
During the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to President Droupadi Murmu's address in Lok Sabha, PM Modi targetted the by-gone Congress rule in the country and later connecting it with INDIA bloc.
PM Modi quoted the Independence Day speech by former PM Jawahar Lal Nehru from 1959, "Let me read what Prime Minister Nehru had said from the Red Fort. 'Indians generally do not have the habit of working very hard, we do not work as much as the people of Europe or Japan or China or Russia or America'."
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"Do not think that these communities became prosperous by some magic. They have achieved this by hard work, by smartness.' This shows Nehru thought Indians were lazy and did not have brains. He did not trust their potential," he added.
PM Modi expressed his discontent towards such portrayal of Indians in the former prime minister's speech.
PM Modi then continued to say that Indira Gandhi did not think differently either and he read speech of Gandhi as well to explain his accusation.
He said, "Indira ji had said from (the ramparts of) Red Fort, 'Unfortunately, it is our habit that when a good work is approaching completion, we become complacent. And when an obstacle comes, we lose hope. Sometimes it seems the whole nation has accepted defeat'. Looking at Congress today, it appears that Indira ji may have underestimated the countrymen, but she evaluated the Congress well."
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Taking a jab, PM Modi said that this was the mentality of "Royal Family of Congress".
He continued, "Looking at the people in Congress today, it seems that Indira Gandhi could not assess the people of the country correctly but assessed Congress absolutely correctly."
Further attacking the Congress-rule in India PM Modi claimed that "whenever Congress came (to power), it strengthened inflation".
He added that his government has "controlled" inflation despite two wars and a pandemic in the last two terms.
Further, PM Modi spoke about opposition parties back during Congress-rule and currently. He said "They failed and didn't allow other parties to perform either. They have ruined the parliament, the Opposition and the country. I believe the country needs a strong Opposition. The country has faced the ramifications of dynasty politics, and the Congress has faced it too," he said.
Taking a swipe at the INDIA Opposition bloc's recent tension as several parties have announced going solo on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections including Trinamool Congress and Aam Aadmi Party, he said, "If they can't trust each other, how will they trust the people."
