'Na To Lift Ho Raha, Na Launch...': PM Modi's Dig At Congress' Rahul 'Startup'

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday took a dig at the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by calling him a 'startup' by the grand old party that is not able to lift itself nor getting launched. "...They have made a start-up for their 'Yuvraj'. But he is a non-starter, he neither lifts nor launches..." the Prime Minister said while addressing Rajya Sabha. PM Modi made these remarks in his reply to the  President's address in Rajya Sabha.

During his address, PM Modi hit out at the Congress party and its leader Mallikarjun Kharge in Rajya Sabha, while responding to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address.

#WATCH | In Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "...They have made a start-up for their 'Yuvraj'. But he is a non-starter, he neither lifts nor launches..." pic.twitter.com/QvTlnuo1lD — ANI (@ANI) February 7, 2024

PM Modi used a Bollywood song lyric to mock Kharge for his ‘400 paar’ speech and said that he entertained him with his remarks. He also dared the Congress to face the challenge from Mamata Banerjee in Bengal, who predicted that the grand old party would not win more than 40 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.

PM Modi said that the Congress had become outdated and outsourced its work to others. He said that the BJP had sympathy for the Congress for its political collapse. He also asserted that the people of the country had strengthened his voice and he would not be silenced by the opposition.

Modi Takes Dig At Kharge

PM Modi began his speech by taking a poetic jibe at Kharge using a popular line from a Bollywood song - ‘Aisa mauka fir kaha milega…’. He said that he was grateful to Kharge for his speech in the house, which he enjoyed listening to. He said that Kharge fulfilled the lack of entertainment that was missing in the Lok Sabha. He was referring to Kharge’s speech in which he claimed that the Congress would cross 400 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.

PM Modi also said that the Congress should gear up for the challenge thrown at them from Bengal, where Mamata Banerjee had said that the Congress would not win more than 40 seats in the Lok Sabha elections. He said that the Congress should not take her words lightly, as she had a better understanding of the ground reality.

Modi Says 'Congress Is Outdated, Outsourced'

PM Modi said that after hearing the opposition, he had come to a conclusion that the party had become outdated and since it was outdated now, it had outsourced its work as well. He said that the ruling party’s sympathy with the Congress for its political collapse. He said that the Congress was a huge party, which ruled the country for decades, but had seen such a downfall.

He said that he remembered the incident from last years, when the opposition tried to stifle his voice in the Parliament. He said that even today, the opposition had come prepared to not listen to him. But he said that he would not be suppressed by them, as the people of the country had strengthened his voice. He said that he too had come prepared this time to reply to the President’s address.

Modi Attacks Congress On Various Issues

PM Modi then attacked the Congress on various issues, such as national security, internal security, economy, social justice, and colonial mindset. He said that the Congress that handed over a large part of our land to our enemies, the Congress which stopped the modernisation of the country’s armies, was today giving speeches on national security and internal security. He said that the Congress which, after independence, remained confused, whether industries are necessary or farming.

He said that the Congress could not decide whether nationalisation is important or privatisation. He said that the Congress that brought India’s economy from number 12 to number 11 in 10 years, while the BJP brought India’s economy to number 5 in just 10 years. He said that the Congress was here to give long speeches on economic policies.

He said that the Congress that did not give reservations to OBC, one who never gave reservations to the poor from general category, the one who did not consider Babasaheb for Bharat Ratna and instead kept on giving Bharat Ratna to their family members, was giving lessons on social justice today.

He also accused the Congress party of being obsessed with the British governance. He said that the British were remembered in this House, Raja-Maharajas had a close connect with the British at that time. He asked - who was inspired by the British? He said that even after independence, who promoted colonial mindset in the country? He asked why the Congress did not change the IPC drafted by the British, why they let the hundreds of laws that were framed by them, continue, why they let the red beacon culture continue even after decades.

He said that India’s Budget used to be tabled at 5 pm because the British Parliament used to convene at that time in the morning. He asked who was inspired by the British. He said that why did Rajpath have to wait for Modi to become Kartavya Path.

President Droupadi Murmu had addressed the joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on January 31, the first day of the Budget Session.