New Delhi: Expressing confidence that the NDA will get more than 400 seats and the BJP will win at least 370 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Monday that he was convinced that the Opposition parties have lost the courage to contest the elections and have resolved to stay on the Opposition benches for a long time.
Replying to the debate in the Lok Sabha on the motion of thanks on the President's address, he said: “I can gauge the mood of the nation, it will definitely give the NDA more than 400 seats and the BJP at least 370 seats.”
Modi asserted that the government’s third term was not too far. “At most 100-125 days are remaining,” the PM said, referring to the coming Lok Sabha elections.
“Abki baar (this time)”, Modi said, and the BJP members joined him in unison to say “400 paar” (over 400).
Referring to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s remark in the Rajya Sabha, the PM said: “Even Kharge ji is saying the same thing.”
Modi noted that the third term of the NDA government would be the one that would see big decisions and lay the foundation for the next 1,000 years.
The PM tore into the Congress, attacking it on the issue of dynastic politics and saying it had a good opportunity to play a good Opposition but had failed in that role.
Taking a dig at the Opposition leaders, he said some leaders were keen to change their parliamentary seats, while some others were planning to move to the Rajya Sabha.
In a jibe at the Opposition, the PM said: “I appreciate the resolution the Opposition has taken. Every word of their speeches has confirmed my confidence and that of the country that they have resolved to stay there (in the Opposition) for a long time.”
“For several decades you were sitting here (in the treasury benches), but now you have resolved to stay there (Opposition benches) for several decades. The people will bless you and keep you there. You will achieve greater heights and will be soon seen in the public galleries (of the House),” he said.
The PM further noted that the Budget Session was a good opportunity to make some constructive suggestions, but the Opposition members have let go of a good chance. He said: “You have left the country disillusioned. Leaders have changed but the same tune continues. The Opposition could have given some message to the people in an election year.”
“The Congress had a good opportunity to play a good Opposition but failed in that role. There are other young people in the Opposition, but they were not allowed to speak out of fear that it may overshadow a particular person,” Modi said, in an apparent reference to Rahul Gandhi.
The PM said the Congress may soon have to “shut shop” due to its attempt to launch the same product time and again.
“It's election time, and you should have worked a bit harder, brought something new and sent a message to the people. However, you failed miserably. Let me teach you this very thing. The Congress Party is responsible for the current condition of the Opposition. The Congress got an opportunity to become a good Opposition. However, they failed to fulfil their responsibility in the last 10 years,” he said.
Modi also hit out at former Prime Ministers, and said former PM Jawaharlal Nehru had called Indians “lazy” and that Indira Gandhi was no different than him.
The PM listed the achievements of his government since 2014 in different sectors and also highlighted that the NDA government has managed to keep inflation in check despite the Covid-19 pandemic and the war between Ukraine and Russia.
Referring to the Opposition's allegations of misuse of Central probe agencies, the PM asserted that investigative agencies are independent and working as per the Constitution.
He informed the Lok Sabha that under the PMLA, the government has registered twice the cases than earlier. “During the tenure of the Congress, the ED had confiscated properties of Rs 5,000 crore. While in our tenure, the ED has confiscated properties worth Rs 1 lakh crore,” he added.
