National News
Rahul Gandhi: PM Modi should answer questions, not always accuse Opposition
"He spoke for more than one hour but didn't speak a word on Rafale deal, or on farmers or on employment for youth," Gandhi said attacking the PM for criticising Congress inside the Parliament instead of talking about issues that concern people.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the Rafale deal during his reply in Lok Sabha to the motion of thanks on the president’s address. Speaking to reporters after Modi’s address, Gandhi also said the reply was a “political speech.”
“He spoke for more than one hour but didn’t speak a word on Rafale deal, or on farmers or on employment for youth,” Gandhi said attacking the PM for criticising Congress inside the Parliament instead of talking about issues that concern people. “I think Modi ji has forgotten that he is the PM now, he should answer questions and not always accuse the opposition,” the Congress chief said.
“Questions are being asked by the country from the prime minister, but he is not answering… here (in Parliament) you have to give answers and not ask questions to the country instead,” he said.
Gandhi also said the PM can talk against the Congress party at a public meeting, but not in Parliament where he needs to answer questions posed to him by the country. “He is right in talking about the Congress party, but this is not the place to raise it. You can raise this issue at a public meeting, but not here. “Here, you have to answer to the country. You are not to make accusations here,” he said.
The Congress President’s reactions came after PM Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress during his reply in Lok Sabha, accusing the party of breaking the country into parts. “How can one of the leaders say India got democracy due to Pandit Nehru and Congress Party? Is this their reading of India’s history? What arrogance is this? India did not get democracy due to Pandit Nehru, as Congress wants us to believe. If Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel would have been the first PM of the country, entire Kashmir would have been ours.”
“For decades, one party devoted all their energies to serving one family. The interests of the nation were looked over just for the interests of one family. In December, did we witness an ‘election’ or coronation for the post of Congress President? One youngster raised his voice about this as well,” he said while replying to the Motion of Thanks to President Ram Nath Kovind’s address.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also condemned Modi’s address in Parliament and called it “half-truth.” “PM Modi might be a terrific orator but this speech is a farrago of misrepresentations and half-truth,” he told news agency ANI.
