New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the Congress was targeting him politically because his government scrapped Article 370, curbed militancy in the Northeast, carried out Operation Sindoor and took decisive action against Maoist insurgency.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, the Prime Minister said the opposition’s criticism of his government is rooted in the decisive steps taken since 2014 on national security, economic reforms and governance.
“The Congress is targeting me politically because our government scrapped Article 370, curbed militancy in the Northeast, carried out Operation Sindoor and took decisive action against Maoist insurgency,” Modi added.
On the other hand, highlighting the government’s economic record, Modi said India has moved decisively onto what he described as the “Reform Express”.
“We have advanced with the guiding principle of ‘Reform, Perform and Transform’. As a result, the country is now on the path of Reform Express,” he said.
The Prime Minister also added that structural, process-related and policy reforms have been rolled out with a focus on manufacturing and entrepreneurship.
“I can say with confidence that India is now ready to compete on the global stage,” he told the House.
Launching a strong attack on the previous UPA regime, Modi alleged that the banking system was pushed to the brink due to political interference.
“Before 2014, there was a prevalent phone banking culture where politicians would make calls to influence loan disbursement,” he said.
According to the Prime Minister, loans were granted without proper assessment, the poor were denied credit and nearly half the population had no bank accounts.
“On the recommendation of Congress politicians, millions were lent to individuals who never repaid the money. During the UPA era, this led the banking system to teeter on the brink of collapse,” he claimed.
The Prime Minister also targeted West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress, accusing it of shielding illegal infiltrators.
“Even the most developed nations are removing illegal immigrants from their countries. However, here, there is undue pressure on the courts to protect these infiltrators,” Modi said, in an apparent reference to the Mamata Banerjee-led party.
He alleged that illegal infiltrators were taking away jobs and land meant for locals, particularly tribals.
“These infiltrators are depriving our youth of their rights and livelihoods, and they are seizing land that rightfully belongs to tribal communities. Yet, such people come here and lecture us,” the Prime Minister said, sharpening his attack on the Trinamool leadership.