Parliament Budget Session highlights: PM Modi's reply focused on Congress, not his govt's work, says Opposition

The proceedings of the Lok Sabha have been adjourned till 11 am tomorrow.

After PM Modi on Monday expressed confidence that the BJP would win 370 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha followed by criticism by the Congress as to how PM Modi could cite an exact number before the election, PM Modi on Wednesday played around the word 370.

As he mentioned Article 370, he clarified that he was not talking about the number of seats but the Article which the BJP abrogated. Watch the video here.

The Rajya Sabha has been adjourned for the day.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has rejected claims by the Karnataka government of discrimination in sharing central taxes. She says that allegations are patently wrong and mischievous.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hit back at the Congress party on the issues of corruption, economy, rights and reservation by deftly quoting former prime ministers. Starting his speech with a swipe at the leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister Modi said he enjoyed listening to Mallikarjun Kharge as provided “entertainment” the house was missing. Read the top quotes from PM Modi's Rajya Sabha speech here.

"It was not a reply to the Motion of the Thanks on President's address, it was only about him (PM Modi) cursing the Congress. He only spoke on what the Congress did. I believe that these people (BJP) don't consider the Constitution, they never participated in Mahatma Gandhi's Dandi March, they never participated in Bharat Chhodo Andolan and are teaching the lesson of patriotism to the Congress," Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge tells PTI.

On PM Modi's speech in the Rajya Sabha, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi tells ANI: "I have never seen a bigger fan of Jawaharlal Nehru than PM Modi. He speaks of Jawaharlal Nehru in all his speeches... It would have been better if he spoke on his work..."

On PM Modi's reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut tells ANI that the speech should have been that of a PM but this was a BJP leader's speech, an election speech. "How will things be if the PM lies in the Parliament?" he alleges.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has asked Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar to restore expunged portions of his speech delivered during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address on February 2, saying this was not the first time that chunks of his speech had been removed.

“This happens to me every time. This is the second or third time that my speeches have been cut. This is the letter I have written to you. I did not want to tell the Press unless I can bring it to your notice. What is this? Manusmriti is discussed so much and when I speak, it is removed,” said Kharge. Read more.

Karnataka Congress leader Priyank Kharge tells ANI: "PM Modi is purely doing political bhashan during the Budget session. They have been in power for the last ten years, don't they have data on what they have done? If he (Modi) is still going to chant the names of Nehru ji, and Indira ji, then what is their achievement?"

In his address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned the recent row over Sam Pitroda tweeting an article of political activist Sudheendra Kulkarni in which the writer said Nehru contributed more to the Constitution than Babasaheb Ambedkar.

"One of their (Congress') margdarshak is sitting in America who became famous for his 'hua toh hua' comment. The Congress family is very close to them. He recently belittled Babasaheb Ambedkar," PM Modi said. Read more here.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi says India's public transport system will be completely transformed in the next five years. “Modi 3.0 will put all its might into strengthening the country's foundation to make India a ‘Viksit Bharat’,” the prime minister says.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi says that India needs competitive cooperative federalism. "...I have always said that today the country needs competitive cooperative federalism. There should be healthy competition among our states so that they go ahead rapidly. We need to walk with a positive mindset," the prime minister says.

PM Modi accuses Congress of destroying PSUs like MTNL, BSNL, HAL, and Air India. He says that the party canont hide from its 10 years of 'misrule'.

PM Modi takes a ‘Yuvraj’ swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. "Congress has given a new start-up to its 'Yuvraj'. But it is neither launching nor lifting. It's a non-starter," he says.

Further targeting the Congress, Prime Minister Modi says that the party's thinking is inspired by the Briths.

“I would like to ask - who was inspired by the British?...Even after independence, who promoted the colonial mindset in the country? If you were not inspired by the British, why did you not changed the IPC drafted by them? Why did you let the hundreds of laws that were framed by them, continue? Why did the red beacon culture continue even after decades?” Modi asked.

In his address, PM Modi says that B R Ambedkar got Bharat Ratna only when a government with BJP support was formed at the Centre.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi accuses the Congress of being against Dalits, backwards and tribals. He cited Jawaharlal Nehru's letter to chief ministers, saying the first PM was against reservation of any kind.

Addressing the Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says: “The Congress, in its greed for power, openly strangled democracy. It also dissolved democratically-elected governments overnight.”

He further accused the Congress party of “creating narratives to break the country.”

"The Congress that jailed the Constitutional decorum, the Congress that tried to lock up newspapers - that Congress has now acquired the habit to create narratives of breaking the country. This was not enough, now they are making statements about breaking the north and south. And this Congress is lecturing us on democracy and federalism!" he was quoted as saying by ANI.

Further criticising the Congress, Prime Minister Modi alleges that the previous Congress government ceded large chunks of the country's land to enemies.

“Congress was aware of problems facing the country, it did nothing to resolve them,” Modi says in the Rajya Sabha.

Addressing the Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accuses the Congress of creating narratives to divide the country. He alleges that the party is now trying to create a “north-south divide”.

PM Modi attacks Congress in Rajya Sabha, says party's thoughts have become 'outdated'.

PM Modi takes a swipe at Congress Rajya Sabha leader Mallikarjun Kharge for his ‘400 paar’ speech. He referred to Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee's recent statement that the Congress may not cross 40 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. “I pray that you keep 40 seats…” Read more here.

"I thank the President for her address (in the Parliament)," says Prime Minister Narendra Modi while replying to the Motion of Thanks on the President's address in Rajya Sabha.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is replying to to the Motion of Thanks to the President's address in the Rajya Sabha during the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament on Wednesday.