Attacked on Adani issue, PM Modi counters opposition in LS; says UPA years were lost decade for country

New Delhi [India], February 8 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday countered the opposition barbs at his government over Hindenberg-Adani row with a strong attack on Congress over UPA rule, saying the decade before 2014 will be known as a lost decade. He also said that "blessings of 140 crore Indians" is his 'Suraksha Kavach'.
Replying to the debate in the Lok Sabha on the motion of thanks on the President's address, PM Modi talked about the work done by his government, saying there is positivity and hope towards India at a global level and the reforms were not carried out of compulsion but by conviction.
He said India is the mother of democracy, constructive criticism is vital for a strong democracy and criticism is like a 'shuddhi yagya'.
He also said Indian society has the capability to deal with negativity but it never accepts this negativity.
PM Modi said the government has addressed the aspirations of the middle class and has honoured them for their honesty."
He recounted the Ekta Yatra which was carried out by the BJP in 1991 from Kanyakumari to Kashmir led by the then party president Murli Manohar Joshi.
PM Modi said that he unfurled the Tricolour at Lal Chowk without bulletproof jacket.
The Prime Minister took veiled digs at Rahul Gandhi who had made sharp attack on the government over the Adani issue in his speech during the debate on Tuesday and said some speeches made on Tuesday were lauded by the their ecosystem.
"I was watching yesterday. After the speeches of a few people, some people were happily saying, "Ye hui na baat." Maybe they slept well & couldn't wake up (on time). For them it has been said, "Ye keh keh ke hum dil ko behla rahe hain,wo ab chal chuke hain, wo ab aa rahe hain"," PM Modi said.
Rahul Gandhi was not present in the House when Prime Minister made his initial remarks. He later reached Lok Sabha.
The opposition parties kept up their demand for Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Hindenberg-Adani row and some MPs staged a walkout during Prime Minister's reply.
Targeting the opposition, PM Modi said instead of constructive criticism, some people indulge in compulsive criticism.
With the opposition parties accusing the government of misusing probe agencies, PM Modi took a dig at them and said Enforcement Directorate is behind their unity.
"A lot of things were said in the House about the probe agencies. I had thought that the people of the country and the results of the elections would bring such people to one stage. But that did not happen. They should thank ED that due to it they have now come together," he said.
PM Modi also hit back at Rahul Gandhi's jibe that there should be study by institutes such as Harvard of how Adani group's wealth had seen steep rise under a particular government.
"Some people here have a craze for Harvard studies. During Covid, it was said that there will be a case study on the devastation in India. Over the years an important study has been done at Harvard and the subject of the study is the 'Rise and fall of India's Congress Party'," he said.
"Those who are drunk in arrogance and think that only they have the knowledge, feel that only by abusing Modi will be a way out...Only through false, nonsensical mudslinging on Modi will a path be paved. It has been 22 years, and they still have a misapprehension," PM Modi added.
The Prime Minister said that the people's trust in him was not due to the newspaper headlines but hard work.
"Trust in Modi was not born out of newspaper headlines, not through faces on TV. (I have) given my life, every moment of mine for the people of the country, for the glorious future of the country. People's trust in Modi is beyond their understanding," he said.
He listed the scams and controversies during Congress-led UPA rule and said that the decade was full of scams.
"When something good happens, their sadness increases. In the history of the country's independence, 2004-2014 was full of scams. Terror attacks took place across the country in those 10 years," he said.
"When the technology was progressing, they were stuck in 2G. Mauka Musibat Mein. In 2010, there were the Commonwealth games which was an opportunity to present Indian youth capability but again it was Mauka Musibat Mein. The coal scam came to the fore. Nobody can forget the 2008 Mumbai attack. But they did not have the courage to attack terrorism because of which the terrorists' morale was boosted," the Prime Minister added.
Stepping up the attack, he said that converting every opportunity to trouble became the UPA government's identity.
"There were terror attacks in every part of India from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. India's capability is being recognised and people's capabilities are coming to the fore. The country was capable earlier also but between 2004-2014, it lost that opportunity. This became the UPA's identity, it converted every opportunity into trouble," he said.
He said there is peace in Jammu and Kashmir and people can go easily.
"Those (referring to Rahul Gandhi who recently concluded Bharat Jodo Yatra in J-K) who came back from J-K recently must have seen how easily you can go in J-K. I too had gone on a yatra to Jammu and Kashmir with the resolve to unfurl the Tricolour at Lal Chowk. Terrorists had put up posters and said 'Dekhte hain, kisne maa ka doodh piya hai jo Lal Chowk aake Tiranga phehra paaye,'" he said.
"That day on January 24, at a public rally, I had said, "Terrorists pay heed. On January 26, sharp at 11 am, I will reach Lal Chowk without security and a bulletproof jacket. Faisla Lal Chowk pe hoga, kisne apni maa ka doodh piya hai". Then I unfurled the Tricolour at Lal Chowk.
"J-K has broken various records in the field of tourism after decades. The festival of democracy is being celebrated in J-K. Today, there is a successful campaign of Har Ghar Tiranga. Some people used to say that there is a danger of disruption in peace due to the Tricolour. Look at the time, even those people participated in the Tiranga Yatra," he added.
The Prime Minister noted that challenges might arise but with the determination of 140 crore Indians, the nation can overcome all the obstacles that come our way. He said that the handling of the country during once-in-a-century calamity and war has filled every Indian with confidence. Even in such a time of turmoil, India has emerged as the 5th largest economy in the world.
He said that there is positivity and hope towards India at a global level. The Prime Minister credited this positivity to stability, India's global standing, the growing capability of India and new emerging possibilities in India.
He said there was an atmosphere of trust in the country and the government is stable and decisive.
He underlined the belief that reforms are not carried out of compulsion but by conviction. "The world is seeing prosperity in India's prosperity", he said.
Noting that India is full of self-confidence today and realising its dreams, the Prime Minister said that the entire world is looking towards India with eyes of hope and credited the stability and possibility of India.
The Prime Minister reiterated the commitment towards those who are deprived and neglected and asserted that the biggest benefit of the government's scheme has gone to dalits, adivasis, women and vulnerable sections.
Throwing light on the Nari Shakti of India, the Prime Minister informed that no efforts have been spared to strengthen India's Nari Shakti.
He remarked that when the mothers of India are strengthened, then the people are strengthened, and when the people are strengthened it strengthens the society which leads to a strengthening of the nation. He also underlined that the government has addressed the aspirations of the middle class and honoured them for their honesty.
Highlighting that the common citizens of India are full of positivity, the Prime Minister emphasised that even though the Indian society has the capability to deal with negativity, it never accepts this negativity.
PM Modi also referred to remarks of Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury about the President for which he had later apologised.
"When Preisdent's Address was going on, some people avoided it. A tall leader even insulted the President. They displayed hatred against ST. When such things were said on TV, the sense of hatred deep within came out. Attempt was made to save oneself after writing a letter later," PM Modi said.
The Lok Sabha adopted the motion of thanks to the President's address after PM Modi's reply.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi later said that the PM Modi did not answer questions posed to him during the debate and alleged that he was "protecting" industrialist Gautam Adani.
"I am not satisfied with the PM's speech. However, it has revealed the truth. His speech had nothing about an inquiry (into the Adani Group in the wake of the Hindenburg report). It's clear that the PM is protecting him (Gautam Adani)," he said.
"The PM, in his speech' did not answer any (of his) questions. He was shell-shocked. I did not raise any difficult questions. They were simple questions that he dodged," the Congress leader added.
Earlier during the debate, union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Kiren Rijiju refuted allegations made by Rahul Gandhi. PM Modi will reply to the debate in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.