Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a fierce attack on the Congress party, accusing it of muzzling democracy and causing the partition of India. Addressing the Lok Sabha, the Prime Minister attacked the Gandhi family as well and said that the Congress had no right to talk about democracy.


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Joining the debate on the motion of thanks to President Ram Nath Kovind’s address in the Lok Sabha, PM Modi targeted the Congress saying, “Aapne desh ke tukde kiye (You divided this country)”.


Amid “Jumlabazi band karo” slogans by members of opposition parties on the floor of the House, the Prime Minister said that “the country is suffering today because of the sins committed by the Congress party in the past”.


“Had the Congress governments in the past worked responsibly, they would have taken the country to new heights. Had they kept the right directions with right intentions, this country would have been in a much better position at present,” said PM Modi.


PM Modi further used the opportunity to target the Congress legacy by saying, “I don't know if I should call it arrogance or lack of knowledge when they say Jawaharlal Nehru brought democracy to India.” He added, “There was democracy in India even during the era of Lichhvi kingdom and Gautam Budha”.


Referring to Jawaharlal Nehru becoming the first prime minister of India, Modi said that despite getting votes in his favour, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was not allowed to become the Prime Minister of India.


Claiming that Sardar Patel being the first prime minister of India would have solved the Kashmir issue, he said, “What was the democracy that prevented Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel from becoming the Prime Minister of India despite him getting the votes? Had Sardar been our first prime minister, a part of Kashmir that is with Pakistan would have been a part of India.”


Citing another instance involving the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Modi further said, "Which democracy does Congress talk about? When their prime minister Rajiv Gandhi landed in Hyderabad and a Dalit leader came to welcome him, he insulted him publicly. Is that the democracy that Congress talks about?"


Talking about the new president of Congress, Rahul Gandhi, he accused the opposition party of following the democracy of just one (Gandhi) family in India. Referring to the tearing of an ordinance brought by the then prime minister, Manmohan Singh, by Rahul Gandhi, Modi said that the “Congress leader tore an ordinance brought by a Prime Minister, so they have no right to teach us about democracy. It does not suit them”.


“How did the Congress act in Kerala, how did they treat the Akali Dal in Punjab, how did they behave in Tamil Nadu? Why did Congress dismiss so many state governments at their will? This is no commitment to democracy,” he added.