Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, July 3 calling him 'balak buddhi' (childish mind) and accusing him of associating Hindus with violence and spreading falsehoods in the Lok Sabha. Modi demanded stringent measures against Gandhi to uphold Parliamentary democracy.
During his response to the extensive 18-hour debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in the Lower House, Modi accused the Congress and its allies of misleading the public into believing that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) had lost the recent elections, despite voters granting his government an unprecedented third term for stability and continuity.
"I urge Congress leaders not to distort the people's mandate with fabricated celebrations of victory," Modi stated. He criticized the opposition for behaving as if they had won a significant majority, despite the House having 543 seats and Congress's actual performance being far from their claims.
Modi described Congress as a "parasitic party" in the recent elections, alleging that it relied on its allies' votes to inflate its numbers. Instead of acknowledging their defeat, Modi argued, Congress was exhibiting arrogance, likening their reaction to parents cheering a child who has fallen off a bicycle.
In his detailed 135-minute speech, Modi, who faced continuous disruptions from opposition members over the Manipur issue, highlighted his government's achievements since 2014 before targeting Congress and Gandhi, albeit without directly naming him. "The mandate for Congress is to sit in the opposition and continue shouting once they run out of logical arguments," Modi declared.