PM Narendra Modi exudes confidence of a third term, outlines vision for ‘Modi 3.0’ during his Rajya Sabha speech

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, February 7

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday exuded the confidence of returning to power in the upcoming general election and said neo-middle class, currently reaping the benefit of government’s welfare schemes, will be the focus of his third term in the PMO.

“The third term of our government is not far. Some people call it Modi 3.0. In Modi 3.0, we will do whatever it takes to strengthen the foundations of developed India….Our 10 years focused on ensuring basic amenities for all people. Our next five years will focus on raising their living standards and quality of life. The neo-middle class will be the focus in the next five years,” the Prime Minister said while replying to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address to the joint sitting of Parliament on January 31.

In a nearly two-hour address, the PM launched a scathing attack on the Congress, accusing it of opposing the Dalits, tribals and OBCs ever since its inception and of working under the influence of the British after Independence.

The PM quoted from Jawaharlal Nehru’s letter to the chief ministers to argue that the late PM was against reservation — “I do not like any form of reservation, especially reservation in jobs. I am against any such step which promotes lack of skill and pushes us towards lower standards.”

“Nehruji’s words are cast in stone for the Congress. You may say whatever but the fact is you are all opposed to SCs, STs and OBCs and did not even give Bharat Ratna to Dr BR Ambedkar,” said Modi.

In a swipe at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi who has been batting for a caste census, Modi said had backwards been empowered from Nehru’s times, there would have been no cause to enumerate them for backwardness today.

The PM also quoted former PM Manmohan Singh to hammer the point of India being in the fragile five under the Congress-led UPA’s decade vis-a-vis being the fifth largest economy today.

Noting that the focus of the NDA government had been the welfare of SCs, STs and OBCs, the PM said the Congress kept perpetrating the slave mentality even post Independence.

“Who was inspired by the British? I won’t ask who established the Congress Party. But tell me who furthered a slave mindset post-Independence?” questioned Modi.

He asked if the Congress was not influenced by the British, why did it not change colonial era penal code and laws; why did it not get rid of red light culture.

“If you were not inspired by the British, why did Rajpath have to wait for Modi to be called Kartavya Path? Who stopped you from calling India the Mother of Democracy? Your stomach aches to speak of self-reliant India,” the PM said, attacking the Congress for labelling them as regressive people who followed and practised Indian culture and traditions.

The PM also countered the Congress allegations that the BJP-led government had weakened the PSUs and said it was the Congress that “destroyed MTNL, BSNL, Air India and used HAL to play politics on the eve of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.”

Modi’s reference was to a visit by Rahul Gandhi to the HAL Bengaluru facility on the eve of the last general election.

“Narratives are being set that PSUs have closed down. In 2014, India had 234 PSUs. Today we have 254.

What is your arithmetic? Can the PSU numbers rise if we are selling?” asked the PM, adding that the BSE PSU index has seen a two-fold jump in one year.

The PM also cautioned the opposition against adopting divisive narratives saying, “Stop looking for new narratives to break the country.”

“The 20th century approach and vested agendas of me and mine cannot make India developed in the 21st century,” Modi said emphasizing his plan to empower women, poor, youth and farmers to build a developed India.

He said going forward, the Modi shield of welfare programmes will be strengthened further and in the next five years India will touch new heights of self-reliance, reduce imports of crude and edible oils, gain a new place in the semiconductor industry and undertake space missions that will stun the world.

“By 2047, India will be in a position to relive the past golden glory. The country has no appetite left for those whose warranties have expired. The country will only trust Modi’s guarantee,” he said.