Congress stages a walkout from Rajya Sabha over PM Narendra Modi's speech

"We've walked out of the PM speech on Motion of Thanks because instead of speaking on President's Address, he accused Congress," said Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha.

New Delhi: Congress MPs on Tuesday (February 8, 2022) staged a walkout from Rajya Sabha to protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reply to the debate on the motion of thanks to the president's address. 

Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, said that they walked out because instead of speaking on President's Address, he accused Congress.

"We've walked out of the PM Speech on Motion of Thanks because instead of speaking on President's Address, he accused Congress," he told ANI.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi launched a scathing attack on Congress and said that the family-run parties are the biggest threat to India's democracy.

The Prime Minister also held the grand old party responsible for several ills confronting the country. He said that the people of the country had to wait for many years to get basic facilities like water, power and roads because of Congress.

As the opposition party, too, the Congress is creating hurdles in the country's development, PM Modi alleged.

He also accused the Congress of being in the grip of urban Naxals, who are today controlling its thought and ideology. 

"The Congress in a way is in the grip of urban Naxals. That is why its thought has become negative," the prime minister said. 

Modi suggested that the opposition party change its name from Indian National Congress to the 'Federation of Congress'.

He also attacked Congress for sacking over 50 state governments of several parties during its over 50-year rule at the Centre.

Taking a jibe at the party, Prime Minister Modi said if it was not there, the country would not have seen Emergency, the massacre of Sikhs and the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley.