PM Modi cites East India company, PFI, Indian Mujahideen to hit back at Opposition alliance

Tribune News Service

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, July 25

Prime minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday attacked the opposition saying merely keeping the alliance name INDIA meant nothing as East India Company, Popular Front of India, Indian Mujahideen also had the word INDIA.

In his remarks at the first BJP parliamentary party meeting in Parliament complex amid the ongoing deadlock over Manipur issue, the prime minister said people cannot be misled simply by adopting the word India.

Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad quoted the PM as saying that he had not seen a more directionless, a more vision less opposition.

“They keep praising themselves as India. But Indian National Congress, East India Company, Indian Mujahideen and Popular Front of India also have the word India. It doesn’t mean anything. Merely keeping the word India won’t mislead people,” the PM told BJP MPs.

The PM described the opposition as “fatigued, frustrated and defeated” to say the BJP must continue to focus on 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

“The ongoing period is the period of dusk before the break of dawn. Opposition has a single agenda to oppose Modi. BJP must work with single-minded focus. We will win 2024 with people’s blessings. We have to work hard. We have to make India developed by 2047,” the PM said.

The home ministry had banned PFI over terror links for five years in April 2023. Indian Mujahideen was banned as a terrorist organisation in 2010.

26 opposition parties recently adopted the name INDIA to define their anti-BJP alliance for 2024 general elections.

Meanwhile, replying to PM Modi's jab, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Twitter, “Call us whatever you want, Mr. Modi. We are INDIA. We will help heal Manipur and wipe the tears of every woman and child. We will bring back love and peace for all her people. We will rebuild the idea of India in Manipur.”

Call us whatever you want, Mr. Modi.

We are INDIA.

We will help heal Manipur and wipe the tears of every woman and child. We will bring back love and peace for all her people.

We will rebuild the idea of India in Manipur.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 25, 2023

#BJP #Narendra Modi