PM Modi takes ‘licence raj, appeasement jibes’ at Congress in Rajya Sabha, says ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ collective responsibility

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday took repeated digs at Congress in his reply in Rajya Sabha to the motion of thanks to the President’s Address, alleging that the party had “hatred and anger” for BR Abmedkar, had resorted to “licence quota raj” while also asserting that the BJP-led government is prioritising the welfare of the poor and marginalised while also focusing on the welfare of middle class.

PM Modi said the President’s speech was inspirational, effective and “showed the way forward to us all”. Over 70 members took part in the debate.

The Prime Minister said a lot had been said about ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ and he can’t understand what can be problem with this.

“Expecting ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ from Congress will be a huge mistake. It is beyond their thinking and it also doesn’t suit their roadmap because the whole party is dedicated only to one family,” he said.

PM Modi alleged that Congress’ model of politics is “lies, corruption, family and appeasement.

“In Congress model, the first thing is Family First”. Their energy was spent on this,” he said.

“Today, attempts are being made to spread caste poison in the society…For many years, OBC MPs from all parties had been demanding constitutional status for the OBC Panel. But their demand was rejected, as it might not have suited their (Congress) politics. But we gave constitutional status to this panel,” he added.

The Prime Minister said after 2014, India got an alternate model of governance which is not “focused on appeasement, but on satisfaction.”
Over 70 members took part in the debate on the motion of thanks on the President’s Address in Rajya Sabha.

PM Modi accused Congress of “hatred and anger” towards BR Ambedkar and said they were raising slogan of ‘Jai Bhim’ due to compulsion.
He said Congress did not confer Bharat Ratna on Babasaheb Ambedkar.

“It is well documented how much anger and hatred Congress had towards Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar. It is well documented how much anger Congress had towards Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. They felt irritated with his words. Due to this anger, they did everything to defeat Babasaheb in the two elections (1952, 1954) . They did not consider Babasaheb worthy of the Bharat Ratna. Today due to compulsions they are having to raise the slogan of ‘Jai Bhim’. Congress is expert in changing colours. This can be clearly seen,” PM Modi said.

He accused Congress of destabalising elected governments when it was in power at the Centre.

He alleged that a reason for the “present condition” of Congress is that rather than trying to improve its own position, it is busy impeding progress of others.

“Congress destabilised the governments. Because their motto remains, ‘Dusre ki lakeer chhoti karo (to limit others)’. This is why Congress’ condition is like this. The country’s grand-old party, connected with freedom struggle, and this is their plight? Aap apni lakeer lambi karne main mehnat kijiye to kabhi na kabhi desh apko bhi ye 10 meter dur yahan ane ka avsar degi [If they would have thought about themselves, they would get a chance to sit on the ruling side (in the Parliament)],” PM Modi said.

Recalling some popular names of Bollywood artists, PM Modi highlighted instances of suppression of freedom of speech under different Congress governments including that led by first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

He mentioned that during a workers’ strike in Mumbai, renowned poet Majrooh Sultanpuri sang a poem criticizing the Commonwealth, which led to his imprisonment. He also pointed out that famous actor Balraj Sahni was jailed merely for participating in a protest march.

PM Modi noted that late singer Lata Mangeshkar’s brother, Hridaynath Mangeshkar, faced repercussions for planning to present a poem by Veer Savarkar on All India Radio and was fired.

He said constitution was crushed and its spirit trampled upon for the sake of power during Emergency, PM Modi said that renowned actor Shri Dev Anand was requested to publicly support the Emergency. He said the actor showed courage and refused to support it, leading to a ban on all his films on Doordarshan. He said renowned singer Kishore Kumar refused to sing for the then ruling party and, as a consequence, all of his songs were banned on All India Radio.

He lauded Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, saying it is not easy to be in public life for so long.
As Kharge sought to respond, PM Modi said “aapko apne ghar me to ye baaten sunne nahi milangi (you will not get to hear such praise in Congress)”.
He also took a dig at Kharge over the Congress leader reciting a poem by renowned poet Gopaldas ‘Neeraj’.

“When Kharge was reciting a couplet, you (the chair in Rajya Sabha) also commented, asking him to speak about the time period of the poem he was reciting. I also want to read a couplet, ‘Tamasha karne walo ko kya khabar, hamne kitne toofano ko paar kar diya jalaya hai’,” PM Modi said.
PM Modi’s also used Neeraj’s lines to attack the Congress and said these were written when party was in power.

“Hai bahut andhiyara, ab suraj nikalna chahiye. Jis tarah se bhi ho ye mausam badalna chahiye”. Mere desh udaas na ho, phir deep jalega, timir dhalega. Atal Bihari Vajpayee also said this 40 years ago, ‘suraj niklega, andhera chatega, kamal khilega,” PM Modi said.

He accused Congress of appeasement politics and said the BJP-led NDA government works for “shantushtikaran” (total saturation) and not “tushtikaran”.

PM Modi said the government lives by the ideal of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’.

“We have tried to ensure that India’s resources are optimally utilised. We’ve taken an approach of saturation. We’ve tried and ensured that the schemes reach the beneficiaries without any pilferages. In the last decade, we’ve worked with the ideal of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ and that has brought results,” he said.

“For three decades, OBC MPs from both Houses, from all parties, had been asking the Govt to give constitutional status to the OBC Commission. It was denied, time and again. It did not suit their politics at that time. After decades of wait, we gave constitutional status to this Commission, respecting the community’s demands,” he added.

The Prime Minister also talked about the proposals in the union budget including tax relief to middle class.

“In this year’s budget, we’ve touched upon several smaller segments of the society, such as the leather and footwear industries. This will benefit the poor people of our society. For example, the toy industry mostly employs the poor. We focused on that and have tried to empower the people working in this industry. It has brought a massive change. We used to import toys in the past but today, we’re exporting toys,” he said.

The Prime Minister said several regions across the nation had not witnessed a lot of development in the past.

“Villages on our borders were ignored for decades. We changed our approach towards them. We identified them as ‘first villages’ and specifically focused on their development. Cabinet Ministers, during our last term, were sent to these villages and were asked to stay there for days to understand and solve their problems,” he said.

PM Modi said ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ is a collective responsibility and a mantra of governance of the BJP-led government and people of the country have understood, tested and supported ruling alliance’s model of development.

He said the government s prioritising the welfare of the poor and marginalised and that 25 crore people of the country have moved out of poverty and become part of the neo middle class.

“Today, their aspirations are the strongest foundation for the nation’s progress. The middle class is confident and determined to drive India’s journey towards development,” he said.

PM Modi said the government has given focus to strengthening infrastructure across the country.

He drew attention to past experiences, highlighting that technologies such as computers, mobile phones, and ATMs reached many countries well before India, often taking decades to arrive.

He remarked that even in the health sector, vaccines for diseases like smallpox and BCG were available globally while India lagged due to systemic inefficiencies. The Prime Minister attributed these delays to poor governance of the past, where critical knowledge and implementation were tightly controlled, resulting in a “license permit raj” that stifled progress.

Remarking on the early days of computer imports when it was difficult to get the device, the Prime Minister said it significantly delayed the adoption of new technology in India.

Pointing to the bureaucratic challenges of the past, the Prime Minister said that even obtaining cement for house construction required permission and during weddings, even getting sugar for tea required a license. He emphasized that these challenges occurred in post-independence India and pointed that the youth of today can understand the implications, questioning who was responsible for the bribes and where the money went.

Highlighting the bureaucratic hurdles of the past, noting that purchasing a scooter required booking and payment, followed by a wait of 8-10 years, the Prime Minister remarked that even selling a scooter needed government permission. He emphasized the inefficiency in obtaining essential items, such as gas cylinders, which were distributed through coupons to MPs, and the long queues for gas connections. He noted the lengthy process for obtaining a telephone connection, stressing that today’s youth should be aware of these challenges. He remarked that those delivering grand speeches today should reflect on their past governance and its impact on the nation.

“The restrictive policies and license raj that pushed India into one of the slowest economic growth rates globally”, PM Modi said.

He remarked that this weak growth rate came to be known as the “Hindu rate of growth,” which was an insult to a large community. He emphasized that the failure was due to the incompetence, lack of understanding, and corruption of those in power, which led to the mislabeling of an entire society as responsible for the slow growth.

Criticizing the economic mismanagement and flawed policies of the past, which led to blaming and tarnishing an entire society, the Prime Minister remarked that historically, India’s culture and policies did not include restrictive license raj while Indians believed in openness and were among the first to engage in free trade globally.

The Prime Minister highlighted that Indian merchants traveled to distant lands for trade without any restrictions, which was part of India’s natural culture. He noted that the current global recognition of India’s economic potential and rapid growth brings pride to every Indian. “India is now seen as one of the fastest-growing countries, and the nation’s economy is expanding significantly,” he emphasised.

Underlining that the nation is now breathing easy and soaring high after breaking free from the clutches of restrictive license raj and flawed policies, the Prime Minister remarked on the promotion of the “Make in India” initiative, aimed at boosting manufacturing in the country. He mentioned the introduction of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme and reforms related to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

He emphasized that India has become the world’s second-largest mobile phone producer, transitioning from being predominantly an importer to an exporter of mobile phones.

He said India’s defence exports have increased tenfold over the past decade.

Remarking on the lack of efforts by the previous Government to promote Khadi, he said even the movement started during the freedom struggle did not progress much.

Prime Minister highlighted that the turnover of Khadi and Village Industries has surpassed Rs 1.5 lakh Crore for the first time. He noted that production has quadrupled in the last decade, significantly benefiting the MSME sector and creating numerous employment opportunities across the country.

Underscoring that all elected representatives are servants of the people, PM Modi remarked that the mission of the country and society is paramount for public representatives, and it is their duty to work with a spirit of service.

Stressing on the collective responsibility of all Indians to embrace the vision of a developed India, the Prime Minister remarked that this is not just the resolve of a government or an individual but the commitment of 140 crore citizens. He warned that those who remain indifferent to this mission will be left behind by the nation. He highlighted the unwavering determination of India’s middle class and youth to propel the country forward.

He warned that extreme negativism and attempts to diminish others instead of enhancing one’s own contributions could hinder the development of India.

The motion of thanks was later adopted by the House. Lok Sabha had adopted the motion of thanks on Tuesday after PM Modi’s reply to the debate. (ANI)