New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his speech at the Rajya Sabha during the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address, launched a scathing attack on the Congress party. He referred to such historical events, the Emergency and the crackdown on powerful individuals, to depict Congress’ claimed violation of freedom of speech and constitutional rights.
Emergency Era: Dev Anand, Majrooh Sultanpuri, and Balraj Sahni Targeted
PM Modi recalled how actor Dev Anand was banned from Doordarshan after refusing to support the Emergency imposed by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Dev Anand was requested, however, to publicly back the Emergency, and he rejected. Because of this, all his films were withdrawn from Doordarshan,” the Prime Minister announced.
At the end of life, the screen actor, in his autobiography Romancing with Life, recounted his activities in that time. According to Modi, several other artists faced similar censorship for not complying with the government’s directives.
He also mentioned how the Jawaharlal Nehru-led government had imprisoned poet Majrooh Sultanpuri for reciting a poem during a workers’ strike in Mumbai and jailed renowned actor Balraj Sahni for participating in a protest.
PM Modi also alleged that Hridaynath Mangeshkar, who is the brother of the famous singer Lata Mangeshkar, was driven out of *All India Radio (AIR) for having written a poem based on the Veer Savarkar. “He was banned from AIR for life,” the Prime Minister claimed, emphasizing Congress’s alleged intolerance toward differing ideologies.
PM Modi on Licence Raj and Economic Sufferings Under the Congress.
The Prime Minister also criticized the Congress party for enforcing “licence/permit raj”, which he said hindered India’s economic progress.
“People had to pay bribes for permits. It would be a decade before a computer could be imported. Today the same country has let out a sigh of relief, as it has been delivered, out of the grip of Congress,” Modi announced.
He criticized Congress for its political actions that led to the delay of technological and, thus, for the difficulties of the adoption of new technologies in India. According to Modi, the BJP government has been working towards reducing bureaucratic hurdles and promoting a more open economy.
BJP vs Congress on the Constitution
Countering Congress’s claims that the BJP was “destroying” the Indian Constitution, PM Modi accused the opposition party of disrespecting Dr. B.R. Ambedkar*, the architect of the Constitution.
“It is well documented how much Congress hated Dr. Ambedkar. They never considered him worthy of the Bharat Ratna. The party also attempted to unseat him in elections, twice, Modi ad.
Dr. Ambedkar was also defeated in the 1952 Lok Sabha elections to the Congress candidate Narayan Kajrolkar in Bombay (North), and in the 1954 by-election in Bhandara. The PM pointed out that Ambedkar’s voice has been consistently ignored by the Congress in the past and is now being weaponized by the Congress for its own political motives.
That is the reason today, out of necessity, they have to chant the slogan ‘Jai Bheem,” he said.
Debate on the Caste Census and Rahul Gandhi’s Inroads into Caste Politics.
PM Modi also fired on Rahul Gandhi’s suggestion for a caste count, cautioning against the schemes to entail the society by caste.
“For years, OBC MPs from all parties had been demanding constitutional status for the OBC panel. Congress rejected this demand because it didn’t suit their politics. But we (BJP) gave it constitutional status,” Modi asserted.
He accused the Congress of using caste-based politics for electoral gains rather than genuinely working for backward communities.
“Family First” vs “Nation First”: Modi’s Direct Attack on Congress Leadership
The PM alleged, that whereas BJP is run on a “Nation first” basis, Congress is run on a “Family first” concept and means to the Gandhi family .
To expect ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ from the Congress Party would be a grave mistake. They whole party is owned by just one family,” Modi said, again referring to his own long-standing charge of dynastic politics in the Congress.
Conclusion
During the speech in the Rajya Sabha delivered by PM Modi, a withering indictment of the accusations levied by the Congress” covered historical events, economic policies, caste census discussions and leadership issues. His comments will undoubtedly fuel the political debate leading up to 2024 general elections since both sides will be strengthening their narratives to gather popular support.
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