Lucknow: A day after winning the no-confidence motion moved by the Opposition in Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday took the debate to the people. Addressing a Kisan rally in Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh, Mr Modi said that the “daldal” (muck) created by the coming together of disparate Opposition parties against the BJP would help the “lotus” bloom better.
“The daldal created by the coming together of several parties will only help the ‘lotus’ bloom better because the lotus blooms in daldal”, he said. The Prime Minister also took a dig at Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s unexpected hug that he received in Parliament on Friday and said, “Some parties say they have no confidence in Modi, they have no confidence in the government to whom you gave a historic mandate. Yesterday in Parliament, I repeatedly asked them to give the reason for the no-confidence (motion). When they could not give a satisfactory reply, woh gale padh gaye (they gave me an unwanted hug).”
In an obvious reference to Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Mr Modi said that some people have been eying the Prime Minister’s chair but have no concern for the poor, youth and farmers.
“We are running to your homes with electricity, they are running towards us in Parliament with no-confidence papers... Yesterday in Lok Sabha, I did what I had to do... Are you satisfied?” asked the Prime Minister and the crowd cheered lustily.
Mr Modi said that he has nothing to fear as he draws his strength from the faith 1.25 crore citizens of India had put in him and “Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution,” and going against people’s wishes would prove costly for the Opposition.
After listing the achievements of his government, Mr Modi asked, “Have I done anything wrong? I am only working for the country and the poor. I am fighting crime and corruption.”
Without naming him, the Prime Minister also attacked Rajiv Gandhi saying that there was a PM who said that only 15 paisa of a rupee released for development from New Delhi reached the people.
“Which was the hand that deprived the people of that 85 paisa on every rupee when only the Congress was ruling at the Centre as well as the states?” he asked.
Addressing farmers, the Prime Minister said, “The government has decided to give you a profit of about 80 per cent over your sugarcane input costs. We have also increased prices from Rs 200 to Rs 1,800 for 14 other crops. Those who are shedding crocodile tears for farmers had the opportunity to do something for you but they never did”.
Shahjahanpur is located at the intersection of the sugarcane and paddy belts, and houses one of the largest food grain mandis in UP. Sugarcane dues were a major factor responsible for the BJP’s defeat in Kairana Lok Sabha and Noorpur Assembly seat in May this year.
The Modi government, later, announced a Rs 8,000 crore package for sugarcane farmers and recently increased the Minimum Support Price on sugarcane for the coming season.
This was the Prime Minister’s third visit to Uttar Pradesh in a month. Last week he had visited Azamgarh, Varanasi and Mirzapur. Next week he will be in Lucknow for a function.
