NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress party on Thursday, accusing it of indulging in “appeasement politics” to secure votes and targeting them for the Emergency imposed under Indira Gandhi’s rule, as he replied to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address in the Rajya Sabha
Recalling the Emergency of 1975-77 and instances of alleged suppression of freedom of expression under previous Congress regimes, PM said, “The word Constitution does not suit their (Congress) mouth. For the sake of power and the ego of the royal family, lakhs of families of the country were destroyed and the country was turned into a prison.”
Then, praising his party, the PM added, “For decades, there was no alternative model for the people. But after 2014, India witnessed a new approach, one not based on appeasement but on *santushtikaran* (satisfaction of all).”
In another jibe, PM Modi criticized the Congress for prioritizing “family first”, alleging that the now-opposition suppressed voices that challenged its rule.
“Expecting ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ from Congress will be a huge mistake. It is beyond their thinking and it also doesn’t suit their roadmap because the whole party is dedicated only to one family,” the Prime Minister said.
PM Modi accused Congress of neglecting BR Ambedkar and failing to recognize his contributions. “Congress did not give Bharat Ratna to Ambedkar, but today they are forced to say “Jai Bhim”,” he remarked. ” “It is well documented how much anger and hatred Congress had towards Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar. It is well-documented how much anger Congress had towards Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. They felt irritated with his words. Due to this anger, they did everything to defeat Babasaheb in the two elections (1952, 1954). “Congress is an expert in changing colours. This can be clearly seen,” he further said, asserting his claims.
“The earlier model, especially under the Congress, was appeasement in everything. This became the crux of its politics. It would give something to small groups and deprive others. At the time of elections, it would give false hope. It ran its politics by fooling people,” he added. “In Congress model, the first thing is Family First”. Their energy was spent on this,” also said the PM in his Rajya Sabha address.
The Prime minister also accused the Congress of trying to spread caste-based divisions. “For three decades, OBC MPs across party lines demanded a commission for OBCs, but Congress kept rejecting it. We finally gave constitutional status to the OBC commission,” he said. He also highlighted how his government introduced 10% reservation for economically weaker sections (EWS) without affecting the existing SC, ST, and OBC quotas.
In his speech, PM Modi also claimed that the opposition party is curbing freedom of speech, citing instances where poet Majrooh Sultanpuri and actor Balraj Sahni were arrested for their views. He further alleged that Congress banned singer Kishore Kumar from All India Radio for refusing to promote the Emergency and blocked Dev Anand’s films from Doordarshan due to his opposition to the Emergency. The speech was met with strong protests from the Opposition as PM Modi continued his attack.
PM Modi also asserted that the BJP’s model of governance prioritizes “nation first,” while accusing Congress of manipulating the system for its political interests.