Modi was “a big salesman” He successful in selling its “product” : Says ARC
NEW DELHI : Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury targeted the Narendra Modi government on Monday saying it resorts to “manipulation” and has “compliment addiction”, and accused BJP members of being more concerned about praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi than about welfare of people.
Questioning his claims that people are proud to be Indians. He also accused the government of a practice of leaving everything to the Prime Minister. “It is filled in your head that Modi Ji will do everything so you worship him,” he said during the response to the “Motion of Thanks” to President’s speech in parliament.
Participating in the debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s Address, Chowdhury said BJP leaders had made allegations against top Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi during the Lok Sabha elections and challenged the government to arrest them.
“Those whom you labelled thieves, why are they not in jail…Why is Sonia Gandhi out, why is Rahul Gandhi out? We have the courage to fight,” he said. BJP leaders had alleged during the Lok Sabha election campaign said the Congress leadership was out on bail with regards to alleged corruption charges.
Chowdhury said BJP had raked up controversies like 2G spectrum sale and coal scam but was not raising them now because the issues have lost traction among people. He said Modi was “a big salesman” and BJP succeeded in the Lok Sabha elections because it was successful in selling its “product” while the Congress could not.
Chowdhury accused the Modi government of “political plagiarism” saying it had renamed over 20 schemes of Congress. “They have compliment addiction by manipulation,” he said. He went on to say that though Congress may have grown weak in terms of numbers, it will never stop fighting for common people.
The Congress leader said BJP members “worship” the Prime Minister as he delivers them electoral victories and alleged they were not concerned about the problems of people. He said they had not spoken about the drought situation in some parts of the country as also deaths in Bihar due to Encephalitis.
Chowdhury spoke in detail about the work done by the Congress governments and said it had brought about the green revolution, white revolution, initiated a slew of social revolution measures and had initiated the work in making the country self-reliant in defence by forming DRDO .
He also challenged the Prime Minister on his claims during a visit abroad that his government has made Indians — who were ashamed of their country during the Congress rule — proud. “What our Modiji has conveyed the message to the world in Shanghai in 2015 – ‘earlier we feel ashamed to be called Indian, now we are proud’.
So do you say that Atalji (Atal Bihari Vajpayee) was not proud to be Indian?” Mr Chowdhury said at the Lok Sabha during the Motion of Thanks to the President.
The Prime Minister’s comments had created a controversy at the time, with the hashtag #ModiInsultsIndia trending on Twitter. Mr Chowdhury also berated the BJP lawmakers, saying, “Half of India is under drought. In Bihar more than 150 children have died due to encephalitis. And you have no concern because you all believe that we MPs do not have to do anything as Modi will do it.”
He took on the BJP over its corruption allegations against the Congress and the Gandhi family. “You may keep saying 2G 3G but what have you been able to prove? You try to prove the Gandhis to be thieves but you have not been able to as they are free,” he said. “Our Prime Minister is a very big salesman. We (Congress) have been unable to sell our product, that is why we lost (in the Lok Sabha election),” he said.
But even if the Congress failed to get numbers, it would do its job, he said. The party has suggested a number of “amendments” to the Presidential address. “We don’t want to criticise the president but to show the government’s fault,’ he said. (With Agency Inputs ).
