'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' perfect time to think about how India can play a global leadership role: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched a no-holds-barred attack on the Congress, saying the Britishers have gone but the party has made the "divide and rule" policy its character and has become the "leader of the tukde-tukde gang".

Replying to the debate in Lok Sabha on Motion of Thanks to President Ram Nath Kovind's address to the Parliament, Modi said the Congress' "arrogance" has not gone away despite multiple electoral defeats and its "misdeeds" seem to indicate that it has made up its mind not to come to power for the next 100 years.

The Prime Minister said the Congress "crossed all limits" during the COVID pandemic.

During the first wave, when people were following lockdowns and COVID norms, the Congress was standing at Mumbai Station and scaring innocent labourers into fleeing to their native states, he said. "You have committed a big sin," he added.

During his nearly 100-minute speech, he also accused the opposition party of indulging in "blind opposition" and strengthening separatism.

It is true that criticism is the ornament of a vibrant democracy, but "blind opposition" is an "insult to democracy", he said.

The Prime Minister noted that if the BJP loses one election its ecosystem works on it for months and slammed the Congress, saying that after so many defeats, "neither your arrogance goes away, nor your ecosystem allows your arrogance to go away".

Modi said it would have been good if the Opposition would have accepted and welcomed with an open heart whatever the country has achieved by 'Sabka prayas'.

Hitting out at the Congress, Modi said, "Sometimes a thought comes to my mind, with their statements, their programmes, their misdeeds, the way you speak and connect with issues, it seems you have made up your mind of not coming back to power for 100 years. Nobody does this."

"If they had little hope that people would bless them they would not have done so. However, if you have only decided to (not come back to power) for a hundred years, I have also made preparations," he said.

Modi asked that if his government is talking about being vocal for local, is it not fulfilling the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi. "Then, why was it being mocked by the Opposition?" he said.

"We talked about Yoga and Fit India but that was mocked by the Opposition too," he said.

He alleged that Congress has lost the desire to come to power and has a philosophy that when one is not getting anything then at least spoil something.

In an apparent reference to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's speech in Lok Sabha last week, Modi said statements were made in Parliament with the intention to incite people.

While Modi did not name Gandhi during his address, he virtually took on all the criticism levelled by the Congress leader in his speech last week.

He asserted that many people have come and gone but the country is immortal. "The country has been united and great, is so and will remain so," he said.

The Prime Minister said the way India handled pandemic is an example for the world.

He 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' is the perfect time to think about how India can play a global leadership role in the coming years.

Post COVID-19 pandemic, the world is moving fast towards a new world order and India should not miss this opportunity, he said.

The House later passed the motion thanking the President for his address to Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on January 31 by a voice vote.