Skirted Adani question, dodged issues affecting common man: Opp leaders slam PM Modi's address in Parliament

New Delhi [India], February 8 : Opposition leaders on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi skirted key questions during his reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President's address in Parliament.
Speaking to reporers, senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, "PM gave a good speech but he didn't answer any of the questions that were asked by the Opposition."
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, who sparked a furore in the Lower House on Tuesday with the alleged use of 'unparliamentary language', said PM Modi did not address the key issues facing the country at this time.
Shiromani Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal accused PM Modi of dodging and deflecting the question that the Lok Sabha and the country at large was expecting a reply to.
"Everyone spotted the elephant in the room but no one talked about it. The PM ran away from the issue that the whole country and the Lower House wanted him to address. Why are they running away from these questions? Why is the government silent on the Hindenburg report (on the Adani Group)," said Badal.
She further claimed that the government, which had promised 'achhe din' (better days), was indifferemt to issues affecting the people and there is a general sense of disillusionment in the country.
"A lot of us were speaking out of pain, and people's problems were ignored. The government promised 'achhe din' but did not deliver on the same. A sense of disillusionment pervades the country. Many, who became jobless during the pandemic, were drafted into the MSP committee for propagating the black farm laws. This is betrayal of our farmers," she said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi claimed that Prime Minister Modi was protecting industrialist Gautam Adani, adding that he wasn't satisfied with the latter's reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President's address in Parliament.
Speaking to reporters after PM Modi concluded his address at the Lok Sabha, Rahul said, "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)."
The Wayanad MP alleged that PM Modi did not answer any of the questions raised by him.
"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," Rahul said.
He claimed further that if PM Modi wasn't friends with Gautam Adani, he would have mentioned that an inquiry would be conducted into the latter's businesses in the wake of the Hindenburg report.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his speech at the Lok Sabha lashed out at the previous Congress government at the Centre, saying that it converted "every opportunity into a crisis" during its 10 years at the helm between 2004 and 2014.
PM Modi claimed further that the Congress's term at the helm between 2004 and 2014 was "full of scams".
"Between 2004 to 2014, the Indian economy suffered and inflation soared to double digits. This is why if anything good happens, their disappointment (of the Opposition) increases," PM Modi said during his address in the Lower House.
He said the Congress lost the opportunity to cash in on opportunities to take the country forward during the UPA's 10-year tenure at the Centre.
"There were terror attacks in every part of India -- from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Today, India's capabilities are growing manifold. But between 2004 and 2014, they frittered away an opportunity (to take the country forward). In fact, they converted every opportunity into a crisis," he said.
However, PM Modi's speech had no mention of the Hindenburg-Adani controversy.