'Congress used alliances to topple governments in 90s': PM Modi at NDA meeting

Slamming the Congress party for using the alliance for toppling the previous governments, PM Modi said: "The Congress used alliances to destabilize the country in the 90s. Congress formed governments and toppled them."

Leaders from 38 parties including Ekanth Shinde, K Palaniswami, Ramdas Athavale, and Chirag Paswan reached Delhi to attend the meeting.

Image credit: UNI

The Prime Minister's remarks come shortly after leaders of 26 opposition parties met in Bengaluru today and named their alliance INDIA - Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance -- to take on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the upcoming general elections.

"NDA was not formed in opposition to any party but it was formed to bring stability to the country," he said while addressing the 38 alliance partners, which are attending the meeting.

"When the alliance is out of compulsion of power, when the alliance is with the intention of corruption, when the alliance is based on the policy of nepotism when the alliance is done keeping casteism and regionalism in mind, then that alliance proves harmful for the country," PM Modi added.

Image credit: UNI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also coined a new full form of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) - New India, Developed Nation, Aspiration of People of India.

Hailing the BJP-led NDA alliance, Modi said, "For us the alliance is not for compulsion but for contribution and today the youth, women, middle class, Dalits and deprived trust the NDA".

PM Modi said that NDA was formed in 1998, but only forming governments and gaining power was not the goal of NDA...adding that it was not formed in opposition to anyone, not formed to remove anyone from power but to bring stability in the country,"

The Prime Minister said, "When a country has a stable government, the country makes a bold decision, and that changes the course of the country."

He termed the UPA era of "mistrust and policy paralysis" and said: "The example of the coalition government before 2014 is in front of us. A high command over the Prime Minister."

Image credit: UNI

"Policy paralysis, inability to take decisions, chaos and mistrust, tussle and corruption, scams worth lakhs and crores was the reality of the then government," he added.

The Prime Minister said when they were in opposition, "we brought out scams of the then governments but never insulted the mandate of the people".

"We never took the help of foreign powers against the ruling governments. We never created hurdles in development schemes meant for the country," he said.

Talking about the importance of alliance for the election, PM Modi said, "NDA's vote share was 38 percent in 2014 and 45 percent in 2019. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, NDA's vote share will be above 50 percent because of its allies who are working hard."

"People have made up their mind to give the mandate to the NDA for a third consecutive term," he said.

Speaking about poverty in the country, the PM said that "no stone was left unturned to empower the people".

"No stone was left unturned to empower the people. As a result, around 13.5 crore people were lifted out of poverty after 2015-16 as per the Niti Aayog report," he said.