Speaking in Rajya Sabha in reply to the debate on Motion of Thanks to President's address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, Feb 7th, said he would pray so that the Congress gets at least 40 seats in the coming elections.
The grand old party's lowest tally in Lok Sabha has been 42 in 2014 -- when 'the Narendra Modi wave and Ab-k Bar Modi Sarakar' slogan swept across India.
"The challenge has come from West Bengal," he said in reference to what Trinamool Congress supremo and a key leader of Congress's alliance Mamata Banerjee has said. "The challenge is Congress will not get 40 plus....I pray at least you can get 40 seats".
In a combative mood but putting his words in a measured form, Modi said, "When I listen to them (Congress leaders in both the Houses); I am sure now...that the Congress party has turned OUTDATED even in its thinking".
"Soch se bhi outdated hogayi hae....". "When the thinking is outdated....they have made their works too outdated. In no time, I should say, such a big party and having ruled for such a long time ....has come down to this level. So much of a decline (aisa patan)".
"We are not very happy on what's happening; we sympathise with you. But what can the doctor do when the patient himself/herself ..... what more should I say".
Questioned over the Bengal leader's apparent distancing from the INDIA bloc, Mr Gandhi indicated he remains optimistic an agreement between the two parties is still possible. "Neither Mamataji nor Congress has come out of the alliance... Mamataji is saying she is (still) in the alliance," he said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Banerjee responded with a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' - which has visited six districts as it marches to Maharashtra - and compared the foot march to a "mere photo opportunity" for "migratory birds", one aimed at dividing minority votes in the state. Mamata Banerjee declared her party will contest all 42 on its own, and only consider an INDIA alliance after the election results, indicating her distrust in the bloc's ability to challenge the BJP.
Here are top quotes from PM Modi's speech in Rajya Sabha
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"If you (Congress) were not inspired from the British, then why did everyone have to wait for Modi to change Rajpath to Kartavya Path.
If you were not inspired from the British, then why no war memorial was built for our soldiers who kept sacrificing their lives for the country".
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"Look at the 10-year history of Congress. (India) was among the five fragile economies. However, look at our 10 years, we are among the top five economies. We brought the country out of this after a lot of hard work."
** "Nehru said 'I do not like reservation in any form. Especially reservation in jobs. I am against any such step that promotes inefficiency and takes us toward mediocrity'."
"Yuvraj ko ek startup bana ke diya hai, ab woh non-starter hai... na toh lift ho raha hai na toh woh launch ho raha hai
(They have made the Crown prnice a startup, now it's a non-starter... neither is it taking off nor is it launching)."
** "BSNL... MTNL ko barbad karne waley kaun they (Who destroyed BSNL and MTNL?)
** "The Congress, which never gave complete reservation to OBCs, never gave reservation to the poor of the general category, which did not consider Baba Saheb worthy of Bharat Ratna, kept giving Bharat Ratna only to its family.
They are now preaching and teaching us the lesson of social justice. Those who have no guarantee as a leader are raising questions about Modi's guarantee".
"The Congress that handed over a large part of our land to our enemies, the Congress which stopped the modernisation of the country's armies, is today giving us speeches on national security and internal security," PM said.
"The Congress that handed over a large part of our land to our enemies, the Congress which stopped the modernisation of the country's armies, is today giving us speeches on national security and internal security."
PM Modi hit out at the opposition leaders and took a jibe at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge over his 'long' speech. I was wondering how Kharge got the freedom to speak so much. "Then I realised that the two commandos who are usually here were not present. Kharge ji, after realising there were no umpires or commandos, kept hitting 4s and 6s."
Congress destroyed HAL and Air India, people's confidence during BJP Govt improving in PSU shares: PM Modi
He said, the Congress leaders made silly, baseless and negative statements about LIC and other PSUs. “On the contrary, it is the Congress which destroyed the PSUs instead."
"Ten years back between 2004 and 2014, PSU net profit was Rs 1.25 lakh crore....Today in last 10 years, the PSU net profit has jumped Rs 2.50 lakh crore."
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Modi's candid reply assumes significance in the light of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's allegations last year that the LIC was “forced to make investments to save the Adani Group, putting people's life savings in danger”. The Adani Group had then outright dismissed the allegations as baseless.
Congress' “fake” campaign on this issue was seen as the grand old party's attempt of fear-mongering about LIC investments. Now, the PM has made it clear that LIC is soaring high in what comes as a strong rebuttal of Congress' allegations.
Similarly, ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi had run a campaign against Modi, accusing him of “weakening” HAL to help his “suit-boot” friend. In fact, the Congress was alleging that the government favoured an industrialist friend over HAL in the Rafale jet deal.
The Prime Minister's reply in the Rajya Sabha exposed the Congress' “fake campaign” and "blatant lies" on the issue of PSUs being weakened by the government.
“I was born in an Independent India and my dreams are independent. Congress said we sold PSUs and destroyed them. I want to ask them, who destroyed BSNL and MTNL? Recall the state of Hindustan Aeronautics under Congress. They destroyed HAL and Air India. Congress and UPA cannot run away from their failures,” the PM said. He further explained how HAL is now showing record revenue generation and has become Asia's largest helicopter manufacturing factory.
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