Can’t expect ‘Sabka Vikas’ from Congress, its model is ‘family first’, says PM Modi in Rajya Sabha

NEW DELHI,FEB 6 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a strong address in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, asserted that while the principle of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ (Everyone’s Support, Everyone’s Development) is the responsibility of all, expecting it from the Congress party is a mistake.

Replying to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address in the Upper House, the prime minister said the Congress’ priority was “family first” and its policies had been focused around it.

PM Modi said that BJP’s focus is “nation first,” adding that the people of India have shown strong support for the BJP’s development model. He also described the Congress model as a “mixture of lies, cheating, appeasement, and nepotism.”

PM Modi emphasized that his government’s focus is on ‘santushtikaran’ (satisfaction) over ‘tushtikaran’ (appeasement).

“I say it with a lot of pride …For five to six decades, there was no alternative model for the people. After a long time, after 2014, the country got to witness a new model, which is not based on appeasement but ‘santushtikaran (satisfaction of all)’,” Modi said.

“The earlier model, especially under the Congress, there 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 said.

Modi said the BJP-led government was focused on optimum utilisation of resources.

“We adopted the approach of saturation. The schemes should be delivered 100 per cent, no one should be deprived and pushed towards hopelessness. In the past decade, at every level, we have tried to implement ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’. We can now see the impact,” he said.

Modi also claimed attempts were being made to spread casteism.

“Attempts are being made to spread the poison of casteism. For three decades, OBC MPs of both Houses from all parties kept demanding a commission for OBCs but it was rejected because, perhaps, it did not suit its politics at that time. We gave constitutional status to this OBC commission,” Modi said.

“Whenever the issue of reservation came up, it was done to create a rift in the country…” he said.

“For the first time, we gave a model, we gave 10 per cent reservation to economically backward groups without snatching from anyone. SC, ST, OBC communities welcomed it, no one had a problem,” Modi added.

He also slammed the Congress for their treatment of the architect of the Indian Constitution BR Ambedkar. “The Congress government did not give the Bharat Ratna to B R Ambedkar, but today they are forced to say ‘Jai Bhim’,” said PM Modi. Ambedkar was posthumously bestowed the Bharat Ratna in 1990 when the Janata Dal’s VP Singh was the PM.

“The Congress had hatred, anger towards B R Ambedkar, made all efforts to defeat him twice in Lok Sabha polls,” added PM Modi. Ambedkar had contested the Lok Sabha elections twice — in 1952 and in a bypoll in 1954 — but was defeated by the Congress candidate both times.

-PTI