Prime Minister addresses Rajya Sabha amidst Opposition uproar, walkout

New Delhi: Amid uproar in the Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Upper House (Rajya Sabha) at noon today, after the Lok Sabha witnessed the Government and the Opposition go head-to-head in a debate on Tuesday.

PM Modi replied to the debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s address and took repeated jibes at the Congress. He said the party should accept the verdict of the people and BJP-led NDA had won its third successive term in office.

Yesterday, Lok Sabha witnessed unprecedented chaos as the Prime Minister was seen shouting while Opposition MPs screamed to drown out his voice. The PM targeted Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi during his over two-hour-long speech in Lok Sabha and dismissed his fiery speech, just a day ago, as ‘balak buddhi’ (childish behaviour).

Selective attitude

Modi addressed the Rajya Sabha as the Lok Sabha was adjourned last evening sine die. “The Opposition’s selective attitude on atrocities against women is very worrying. I have seen a video from West Bengal on social media where a woman was being beaten. The incident which happened in Sandeshkhali. But even the senior leaders (of the Opposition) have not said a word about it,” said Modi.

Opposition leaders tried to drown out PM Modi’s address in the Rajya Sabha by chanting ‘LoP ko bolne do (let the Leader of Opposition speak)” as he addressed the house.  PM Modi continued his speech and attacks on the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, as Opposition MPs continued to raise slogans and walked out of the House.

‘Running away is their fate’

“They have insulted the Upper House. The country has defeated them in such a way that they don’t have any other option but to scream and shout. Slogans and chaos and running away is their fate now.”

“Congress is the biggest enemy of the Constitution. Those who said ‘Indira is India’, are fighting for the Constitution,” Modi added.

As the Opposition walked out, the PM said, “The country is watching that those who spread lies do not have the strength to hear the truth. Those who do not dare to face the truth, do not dare to listen to the answers to questions that were raised in these discussions.”

‘Rejected politics of deceit’

“We feel proud of the wisdom and intelligence of the people of this country, in these elections. They defeated propaganda. They prioritised performance. They rejected the politics of deceit and put the stamp of victory on the politics of trust,” said PM Modi.