PM's address in Rajya Sabha: “Desh dekh raha hai, ek akela kitno ko bhari padh raha hai"

Goodbye 'sickularism' -  True secularism means 'non discriminatory' benefits to all : PM

New Delhi 

Time to shed 'sickularism' that banks on appeasement of minorities and especially Muslims. This is what Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his response in Rajya Sabha on the Debate on Motion of Thanks to President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the joint sitting of Parliament.

He asserted that his government has developed a new work culture wherein the benefits are reaching every section of society without any discrimination. Terming this 'new culture as true secularism', Modi took potshots at the Congress, saying that they only tried to create hurdles and delay projects. 

“In Azadi ka Amrit Kaal, we have chosen ‘saturation’. We have focused on how every beneficiary (of social schemes) can receive 100% benefit without disruption – this is true secularism. This is true social justice,’’ Modi said, adding that when there is discrimination and favouritism, corruption creeps in.

The Prime Minister said, his government’s mantra of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas intends to ensure that rights of the people should reach them without any hindrance. He lashed out at Congress, alleging that its regime wasted six decades of the country when even small countries touched the heights of success. 

Amid Opposition members sloganeering against him while the speech was on, Mr Modi said: “Desh dekh raha hai, ek akela kitno ko bhari padh raha hai (the country is watching how one person outweighs so many).”

Thumping his chest and pointing to the Opposition members, he said, "I live for the country and have set out with the conviction to serve the nation.”  

“Naare bolne ke liye bhi unko badal karna padhta hai (even to raise slogans, they have to take turns)".

He said it was Congress' responsibility to resolve issues of the people, however, the party was not serious in its approach and its priorities were different. Referring to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s remarks that they have laid a strong foundation in 60 years, the Prime Minister alleged that Congress only dug holes.

He said, the Congress government(s) arbitrarily misused Article 356 and dismissed state governments 90 times. 

The Prime Minister alleged that the previous regimes’ economic and social policies as well as politics were based on vote bank politics. Turning towards Left parties, DMK and senior lawmaker Sharad Pawar, he reminded them all of them have suffered at the hands of Congress and its policy of dismissing opposition regimes.

"You all tried to bring down the government of N T Rama Rao when he had gone abroad for treatment," the Prime Minister said.

“Jitna keechad uchchaloge, kamal utna hee zyada khilega (the more dirt you fling, the more the lotus shall bloom),” he said, and quoted from a poem “keechad unke paas tha, mere paas gulal. Jo jiske paas tha, usne diya uchchal (they flung the dirt they had, I threw the colours I had).”

"In last 3-4 years, around 11 crore houses have got tap water connections. For the empowerment of common people, we started the Jan Dhan account movement. In the last nine years, 48 crore Jan Dhan accounts were opened across the country," he said.

On the attack by Congress President Kharge, Mr Modi said, "Kharge Ji complains that I visit Kalaburagi. He should see the work done there. More than 1.70 crore Jan Dhan bank accounts have opened in Karnataka including over 8 lakh accounts in Kalaburagi. So many people getting empowered, while someone's account getting closed, I can understand the pain."

ends 

Replying to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address amid Opposition chants against him and calls for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into affairs of the Adani Group, Modi told Rajya Sabha: “Desh dekh raha hai, ek akela kitno ko bhari padh raha hai (the country is watching how one person outweighs so many).” 

Thumping his chest and pointing to the Opposition members raising slogans, he said “Naare bolne ke liye bhi unko badal karna padhta hai (even to raise slogans, they have to take turns)… I live for the country and have set out with the conviction to serve the nation.” He said the Opposition members were playing games because they did not have the courage to take him on.  

“Jitna keechad uchchaloge, kamal utna hee zyada khilega (the more dirt you fling, the more the lotus shall bloom),” he said, and quoted from a poem “keechad unke paas tha, mere paas gulal. Jo jiske paas tha, usne diya uchchal (they flung the dirt they had, I threw the colours I had).”

Referring to Kharge’s remark that previous governments laid the foundation of what was being built now, Modi said that when he took office and started scrutinising projects and gathering information, he found there were “holes in the foundation”.

“When they were digging holes for the past 60 years, at that time many of the world’s smaller countries were reaching the pinnacles of progress and success,’’ he said.  

“Mahatma Gandhi used to say ‘shrey’ (merit) and ‘priya’ (dear). We have chosen the path of ‘shrey’ (merit), ”he said.

“In Azadi ka Amrit Kaal, we have chosen ‘saturation’. We have focused on how every beneficiary (of social schemes) can receive 100% benefit without disruption – this is true secularism. This is true social justice,’’ Modi said, adding that when there is discrimination and favouritism, corruption creeps in.