Congress President Rahul Gandhi said the Prime Minister gave a 'totally political speech' in the Lok Sabha today and avoided any explanation on significant issues like the Rafale deal or employment.
Replying in the Lok Sabha to the motion of thanks on President's address, Modi today criticised the opposition party over bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, alleging that it did so only for "political" considerations without any preparation for which the people were facing hardships. He also accused the Congress for 'dividing' the country and playing a 'hit and run' kind politics.
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"He spoke for more than 1 hour but didn't speak a word on Rafale deal, or on farmers or on employment for youth. It was a totally political speech," said Gandhi.
He seems to have forgotten that he is the prime minister not an opposition leader, Gandhi told reporters after Modi's reply in the Lok Sabha to the motion of thanks on the president's address.
"Questions are being asked by the country from the prime minister, but he is not answering... Here (in Parliament) you have to give answers and not ask questions to the country instead," he said.
According to Gandhi, the prime minister can talk against the Congress party at a public meeting, but not in Parliament where he needs to answer questions posed to him by the country.
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"He is right in talking about the Congress party, but this is not the place to raise it. You can raise this issue at a public meeting, but not here.
"Here, you have to answer to the country. You are not to make accusations here...," he said.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor too reacted to the speech, calling it a 'farrago of misrepresentations and half-truth'
"PM might be a terrific orator but this speech is a farrago of misrepresentations and half truth," Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor said.
(Inputs from agencies)
