Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed Parliament on Saturday evening, marking the conclusion of a two-day debate on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of India&rsquo;s Constitution.
Most of the fiery speech that last about two hours was a blistering attack against the Congress. Modi accused the opposition party and the Nehru-Gandhi family&nbsp;of using slogans like &ldquo;Garibi Hatao&rdquo;&nbsp;for political gain while failing to fulfill their promises.
&ldquo;The Congress has a strong liking for a word, which it often subscribes to. Today, I want to take this name. It is garibi hatao, it is the longest running jumla of Congress governments,&rdquo;&nbsp;Modi said, turning the tables on Congress, which has frequently accused his government of making hollow promises.
He also reiterated his long-standing criticism of the Congress party&rsquo;s approach to governance during the 1975 Emergency, referring to it as a &ldquo;black chapter&rdquo;&nbsp;in Indian democracy.
&ldquo;The Emergency imposed by the then Indira Gandhi regime continues to remain and will always be a black chapter in the history of Indian democracy,&rdquo; Modi said.
&ldquo;The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.livemint.com/topic/constitution-of-india">Constitution</a>&nbsp;was torn apart when it was completing 25 years; the Emergency was imposed (in 1975), all constitutional rights were snatched and the country was turned into a jail,&rdquo; he added.
He also declared that Congress leaders from<a href="https://www.livemint.com/topic/jawaharlal-nehru">&nbsp;Jawaharlal Nehru&nbsp;</a>to Rajiv Gandhi left no stone unturned in hurting the Constitution.
The PM also drew sharp lines between the governance of the Congress party and his own government&rsquo;s policies. He pointed to the various reforms his administration had implemented, including the revocation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, the introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST), and initiatives to ensure the financial inclusion of the marginalized.
Modi argued that these actions were in line with the values enshrined in the Constitution, which he described as the &ldquo;basis of India&rsquo;s unity&rdquo;.
He also emphasized his government&rsquo;s welfare initiatives, including the Jan Dhan Yojana, which has brought millions of poor people into the formal banking system, and the PM SVANidhi Yojana, which supports street vendors. He contrasted these efforts with the Congress's inability to address basic issues like sanitation, clean drinking water, and women&rsquo;s safety during its decades in power.
11 Sankalps
The PM also proposed 11 &ldquo;sankalps&rdquo; or resolutions before Parliament for India&rsquo;s&nbsp;future:
l&nbsp;Government and citizens&nbsp;must fulfil all responsibilities
l&nbsp;Sabka saath, sabka vikas
l&nbsp;Zero tolerance towards corruption
l&nbsp;Take pride in the laws of nation&nbsp;and follow them
l&nbsp;Freedom from colonial hangover, pride in India&rsquo;s culture and heritage
l&nbsp;Freedom from dynastic politics
l&nbsp;Samvidhan ka Samman: Honour&nbsp;the Constitution, don&rsquo;t make weaponize it for political opportunism
l&nbsp;Don&rsquo;t take reservations away from those who need them; no reservations on the basis of religion
l&nbsp;India should become a global pioneer in women-led development&nbsp;
l&nbsp;Rajya rashtra ka vikas se rashtra ka vikas
l&nbsp;Ek Bharat, Shreshth Bharat
The PM was the last speaker in the two-day Lok Sabha debate on the Constitution. A similar debate will take place in the Rajya Sabha December on 16 and 17.
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PM Modi was the last speaker in the two-day Lok Sabha debate

Draws sharp lines between the Congress governance and his own; proposes 11 ‘sankalps’

PM Modi Addresses Lok Sabha on Constitution

Draws sharp lines between the Congress governance and his own; proposes 11 ‘sankalps’

December 14, 2024 | 20:59 IST