PM Modi renews attack on Congress over 'dynasty politics' ahead of crucial state elections

Speaking in the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the customary address by the President in Rajya Sabha, Modi said, "India is the mother of democracy. Democracy, debate have been going on in India for centuries. Congress' problem is that they never thought of anything apart from dynasty."

He added, "India's democracy faces the biggest threat of family-based parties. The biggest loss any party faces due to this is good talent."

In a similar way he lashed out at the Congress in Lok Sabha a day ago, the Prime Minister relied on comic reliefs in a powerful, aggressive speech that had prompted several Congress MPs including their leader of the house, Mallikarjun Kharge, to interrupt.

Modi in his trademark style of speech had almost muted the Congress voices in the upper house of Parliament by listing the incidents, which he feels could have been averted if Congress was dismantled as per Mahatma Gandhi's advice post Independence.

"Some members asked if there was no Congress, what would have happened," Modi said, and then went to answer the question himself.

"If there was no Congress, there would have been no Emergency, there would be no caste politics, Sikhs would never have been massacred (in 1984).

"There would have been the 'kalank' (blot) of Emergency had there been no Congress," he said.

"The divide of caste would not have been so deep had there been no Congress.

"Had there been no Congress, Kashmiri Pandits would not have to leave Kashmir," the Prime Minister went on, referring to the exodus of Hindus from the Kashmir Valley with the onset of the separatist campaign in the late 1980s.

While Modi lauded the citizens of the country for the successful national vaccination drive against COVID-19 on Tuesday, the Prime Minister, who is the BJP's supreme face in the country, severely attacked the Congress over its "politics" during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 while replying in the debate on the Motion of Thanks to President's Address in Lok Sabha a day ago.

"During COVID-19 times, when all health experts were advising people to stay wherever they are, the Congress in Maharashtra encouraged people and distributed free railway tickets to migrant workers, leading to the surge in cases in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab," he said on Monday evening.

Modi's counter attack on the Congress, which is fighting to hold its stronghold Punjab which will go to polls later this month, came days after its top leader and Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi tore apart the BJP government, which has been in power since 2014.

Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha | Image Credit: UNI

Gandhi tore into the Modi government stating there were now two distinct Indias, one for the rich and the other for the poor.

"There are now two Indias – one for the poor and one for the rich. The chasm between these two Indias is increasing continuously," an excerpt of Gandhi's speech reads.