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‘Won’t let your unemployment end’: PM Modi rains darts at Cong in Parliament
PM Modi also lost no opportunity to take potshots at the opposition, primarily the Congress and its leaders Rahul Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought to turn the Congress into a dartboard as he rose to reply to a discussion on the President Ram Nath Kovind’s address to Parliament.
In his speech, PM Modi countered the opposition criticism over the amended citizenship law, attributed the string of decisions taken by his government after returning to power last year to its determination to work hard and fast to improve the lives of people and urged the opposition to work with the government for the sake of the country.
But he also lost no opportunity to take potshots at the opposition, primarily the Congress and its leaders Rahul Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
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His opening remark was the first barb.
As soon as he stood up to reply to the discussion, BJP members welcomed him by raising slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ to which Congress responded by ‘Mahatma Gandhi Zindabad’ and ‘Mahatma Gandhi Amar Rahe’. It didn’t, however, continue for long and PM Modi remarked: “Bas itna hi? Aur kuch hai? (Is that all? Is there more?)”.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha promptly got up to say that this was only the trailer and there would be more. The prime minister didn’t let it pass and promptly responded: “Mahatma Gandhi might be a trailer for you, [but] for us, Gandhiji is our life).”
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The next one came soon enough, aimed at Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury who had been rising from his seat to object to what he was saying. When Chowdhury stood up again and was gesticulating, the prime minister turned to youth and sports minister Kiren Rijiju, saying that he wanted to congratulate him. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the prime minister said, did campaign for the Fit India campaign when he spoke. “He delivers his speeches and along with it, gyms (exercises) also… I thank him (Chowdhury) for campaigning for Fit India,” PM Modi said.
PM Modi took another potshot at Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury when he sought to interrupt PM Modi as he described the recent pact with Bodo militant groups as a new dawn for the Northeast. “But that light you will see only when you change your glasses (spectacles),” PM Modi said. When Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury stood up, PM Modi surprised him by thanking him for the interruptions. “Because by interrupting me, you are giving me breaks,” the prime minister said.
The next one came soon enough, aimed at the Congress and other opposition leaders. PM Modi, referring to the many demands that were made on his government, said he didn’t count attacks that he was yet to achieve certain milestones as criticism.
“Because when you do this, it reflects your confidence in us that we will deliver,” PM Modi, who asked the opposition to debate economic issues in this session, said.
When someone from the opposition camp reminded him about his promise to create jobs, PM Modi smiled and said: “We will do this also.”
Then came another jibe.
“But there is one thing that we will neither do nor allow anyone else to do. We will not allow your unemployment to end,” PM Modi said, a reference to the Congress’ depleted strength after losing power in 2014.
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At yet another point, PM Modi sought to persuade Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to back down, pointing that his own party leaders were laughing at him behind his back. “I don’t want your prestige to be dented,” PM Modi said. When that message didn’t have the desired impact, PM Modi told him that he had been able to “fix your CR (confidential report)” or appraisal and didn’t have to interrupt him as much.
But it was for Rahul Gandhi that PM Modi reserved his most acerbic comment.
PM Modi was taking a jibe at Rahul Gandhi over his reported statement that people would want to beat the prime minister for his unkept promises to the youth when Gandhi finally stood up to have his say. The microphone on Rahul Gandhi’s seat wasn’t switched on but PM Modi jabbed him for the attempt nevertheless.
“I have been speaking for the last 30 to 40 minutes but it took this long for the current to reach,” PM Modi said. After a brief pause, he added: “Bahut se tubelight aise hi hote hain (Many tube lights are like this)”.
