Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday replied to the motion of thanks on the President's address to Parliament, in the Rajya Sabha. The Prime Minister started his reply by thanking the President for guiding both the Houses by presenting the vision of 'Viksit Bharat' in her address.
In his reply to the motion of thanks, the PM targeted the Congress and the Gandhi family and asked why does not anyone keep the Nehru surname? He also slammed the party for misusing Article 356 a number of times.
"I have read in the newspapers that 600 schemes in this country are in the name of the Gandhi-Nehru family. But I am very surprised why doesn't a person keep the Nehru surname", he said.
Targeting the Congress, Modi said that if Nehru ji's name is not mentioned in any programme, he becomes angry why the name of Nehru ji was not taken. Modi said, "I am very surprised, even if I miss it, I will fix it, because he was the first Prime Minister of India. But why doesn't a person keep the Nehru surname. You don't approve and keep asking for our account."
"This is a centuries-old country... a country built on the traditions of generations of people. This country is not the fiefdom of any family", he said. He slammed the Congress and asked which was the party that misused Article 356 the most? 90 times, they (Congress) removed the elected government, he said.
Modi added, "Those who do not know the difference between employment and jobs are preaching to us. To create new narratives, efforts are being made to spread lies with half-baked things. In the last 9 years, the economy has expanded and new possibilities of employment have been created in the new sector."
"We understand the importance of Infrastructure, Scale and Speed for building a modern India", the Prime Minister said. He emphasized that the working culture in the country has been transformed by the power of technology and the government is focused on increasing the speed and enhancing its scale.
"Mahatma Gandhi used to say 'shrey' (merit) and 'priya' (dear). We have chosen the path of 'shrey' (merit)," the Prime Minister remarked. He underlined that the path chosen by the government is not the one where rest is a priority, but the one where we work tirelessly every day and night to fulfil the aspirations of the common people.
The Prime Minister said "For decades, the development of tribal communities was neglected. We gave top priority to their welfare." He informed that a separate Ministry for tribal welfare was created during the tenure of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and concerted efforts for tribal welfare were undertaken.
Modi emphasized that "small farmers are the backbone of India's agriculture sector. We are working to strengthen their hands." He added that small farmers were neglected for a very long time. The current government focussed on their needs and created many opportunities for the small farmers along with small vendors and artisans. The PM also elaborated on the steps taken for women empowerment and talked about the government's initiative to empower, ensure dignity and create ease of living at every stage of a woman's life in India.
"With the expertise of our scientists and innovators, India is becoming a pharma hub of the world," the Prime Minister remarked as he drew attention to the unfortunate events when some people tried to let down India's scientists, innovators and vaccine manufacturers. He talked about inculcating a scientific temper through measures like the Atal Innovation Mission and Tinkering lab. He complimented the youth and scientists for fully harnessing the opportunities created by the government and launching private satellites. "We have succeeded and are using technology for empowering common citizens", Modi said.
"The country today remains the world leader in digital transactions. The success of Digital India has drawn the attention of the whole world today", the Prime Minister said. He recalled the time when India used to import mobile phones whereas today, we take pride that mobile phones are being exported to other countries.
"It is our resolve that India becomes 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047," the Prime Minister remarked. He reiterated that the government has taken many significant steps to grab the opportunities that we have been looking out for. "India is ready to take a giant leap and not look back anymore."