New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched a stinging attack on the “completely directionless” INDIA alliance of opposition parties and compared the grouping with terrorist outfits like Indian Mujahideen and Popular Front of India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a dig that as the Britishers named themselves the East India Company and terror organisations like the Indian Mujahideen and the Indian People’s Front, all of whom have ‘India’ in them, similarly the Opposition was presenting itself with the name of India.
Addressing media persons here, senior BJP leader and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad quoted the PM’s remarks in the party’s Parliamentary meeting held earlier today.
“We are proud of our PM. We will return to power in 2024. PM Modi in his remarks said that Indian National Congress, East India Company was founded by a foreign national,” Prasad said.
“Today people are using names like Indian Mujahideen and Indian People’s Front. Something on face value could be different from something that is really true,” the former union minister said citing the Prime Minister’s remarks at the BJP Parliamentary party meeting.
Congress National President and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said that while the Opposition was urging the Prime Minister to speak on the Manipur issue in Parliament, he was instead talking about the East India Company in his party meeting.
“Why is he scared about opposition parties naming themselves as INDIA. They are nervous because of our successful meetings in Patna and Bengaluru,” Kharge said responding to PM’s jibe on the acronym INDIA, which stands for Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance.
“The opposition is giving direction to the country. The Prime Minister himself has become directionless,” Kharge said.
Manipur issue is not like the ones in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh or West Bengal, it is way more serious. This is a concern for all the Northeast states in the country. They are not concerned about the atrocities against women, Kharge further stated.
Inside the Rajya Sabha, the Leader of the Opposition Kharge said that the prime minister was busy talking about the East India Company at a time when Manipur was burning.
“So many representatives are giving notices under 267 in Parliament. We are talking about Manipur. Manipur is burning but the Prime Minister is talking about East India Company,” Kharge said.
Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was poised to return to power in 2024.
“We are well on course to return to power in 2024. The country has set high hopes on us and the Opposition alliance knows it is not coming to power. This sad and tired Opposition will disintegrate,” he said.
Prime Minister Modi today came down heavily on the face-off in Parliament over the Manipur issue between the Opposition and the government that has led to continued disruptions since the beginning of the ongoing Monsoon Session.
After the statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi against the opposition parties, its criticism has started. Trinamool Congress has called it an insult to India and Indians. The party said that the vote share of the opposition alliance was many times more than the total vote share of the BJP.
AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha said “Now he is avoiding even the word INDIA. From the Constitution of India to many schemes of the government, there is India. But now this is their fear and they have started hating the word India as well.”
“They want that this alliance should not raise their voice on the issues of the country and remain silent on the issue of Manipur”, he added.
(With input from agencies)