Homage To President, Attack On UPA, Response To Opposition Jibes: Here Are 25 Highlights From PM Modi's Speech In Lok Sabha

1. President's Inspiring Address

PM Modi welcomed the President of India, Droupadi Murmu's first address. He called it visionary. He added that the President is a source of inspiration for women of India. Her elevation as the President has filled the tribal communities of India with immense pride and self confidence.

2. India's Transformation: From Aid Receiver to Aid Provider

In her address, PM Modi highlighted, the President emphasized that India, once dependent on others for its necessities, had become a source of aid for the world. Indians are now able to access basic needs that were lacking for decades. PM Modi hailed the fact that none of the members contested the assertion made by the President.

3. "Ecosystem" Rejoicing

PM said that after some of the speeches given yesterday by certain members of the House, the entire 'ecosystem' was rejoicing. 

4. India's Resilience in the Face of Challenges

PM Modi asked to not forget that we are experiencing a moment to be proud of as a nation. Despite facing a once-in-a-century pandemic and a world torn by conflict, India has handled adversity with grace. He added that challenges exist. But the resilience and strength of 1.4 billion Indians is far greater than these challenges.

5. World Looking at India With Hope

While the world is dealing with hunger, inflation and unemployment, India is standing tall as world’s fifth largest economy. There is positivity, hope and trust in the world when it comes to India.
It is a matter of pride that India has the opportunity to host the G20 summit. While taking a jibe at the opposition benches, PM said that it seems that is also saddening a few people. 

6. Reforms Out Of Conviction, Not Compulsion

Today, experts and reputable organisations that study world trends and make predictions, have expressed hope and excitement for India's future. This is due to India's stability, new opportunities, and expanding capabilities. PM asserted that we have a stable and decisive government today, which takes decision keeping Nation First.  The government is doing reforms not out of compulsion but out of conviction.

7. India's Handling of the Pandemic

India produced Made in India vaccines and implemented the largest vaccination programme in the world. It vaccinated its entire population and even provided medicines and vaccines to other nations. Today, those nations praise India for its humanitarian efforts.

8. India's digital infrastructure is rapidly expanding and attracting global attention. While developed nations struggled to provide economic support to their citizens during the pandemic, India was able to reach out to millions with just a click of a button. The Co-Win app has made it possible to access vaccination certificates on our phones."

9. Emerging as a Manufacturing Hub

India is addressing supply chain gaps across the world and emerging as a manufacturing hub. The world is seeing its own growth in India's growth. Despite negativity of some, it is the hard work of 1.4 billion Indians that has made this possible.

10. In the last 9 years, 90,000 startups have been established, making India the third largest startup ecosystem, including in tier-2 and 3 cities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, 108 unicorns have emerged. India is now the second largest mobile manufacturer, third in domestic air traffic, third in energy consumption, fourth in renewable energy capacity, and producing talented sportspersons. Higher education enrollment has surpassed 4 million for the first time.

11. UPA Era: The Lost Decade

The opposition's negativity stems from their constant rejection by the people and their disastrous handling of India's economy during their reign, said the Prime Minister.

• Under the UPA, inflation reached double digits, and the period from 2004 to 2014 saw the the biggest corruption scams.

• From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, terror attacks were at their peak. Citizens were constantly under threat.

• India's voice in the world was weakened and opportunities for citizens to showcase their talent were squandered.

• In fact, the UPA managed to turn every opportunity into a problem. Instead of embracing the tech age, they got embroiled in 2G scam. The civil nuclear deal, defence deals and Commonwealth Games were marred by scandals.

• India was known for blackouts, coal scams, and terror attacks, and the government of the time lacked the courage to take tough action against terrorism. The Prime Minister emphasized the inherently positive nature of Indian society, rejecting negativity and embracing the principles of 'Karma.'

13. Opposition's Compulsive Criticism

The criticism plays a crucial role in enhancing democracy. However, instead of constructive criticism, there is only baseless blaming. In the event of an election loss, the blame is put on EVMs, if a decision is not favorable, the Supreme Court is blamed, if the army displays its power and enhances public trust, then the army is accused, and if news of India's economic growth emerges, the RBI is targeted with false allegations.

In the last 9 years, we have witnessed people’s bankruptcy due to which constructive criticism has been abandoned for compulsive criticism. 

14. Opposition United by ED

The topic of investigative agencies has garnered much attention. Surprisingly, all opposition parties seem to be in agreement on this matter. Despite their differences, it is the enforcement directorate that has managed to unite them. The ED has accomplished what the voters were unable to do.

15. Studies on Congress's Downfall

PM Modi commented that people from the opposition benches are crazy about "Harvest Study." During the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress said Harvard would conduct on India's destruction. However, a study titled "The Rise and Decline of India's Congress Party" has already been conducted at Harvard. It is likely that more studies on Congress' downfall will take place in the near future.

16. Contradictions in Congress's Rhetoric

Congress leaders have grown accustomed to meaningless rhetoric so much that they fail to recognise their own internal contradictions. Since 2014, they have claimed that India has grown weaker, but now they argue that India has become so strong that it threatens other countries and influences their decision-making.

17. The opposition has not been able to learn any lessons. The Prime Minister stated that the opposition's attempts to discredit him have been ineffective, as the trust in him among the people is a result of his lifetime dedication to serving India. He expressed that the trust in him is far greater than the opposition can imagine.

The Prime Minister posed the question:

Will the 80 crore people who receive free ration be swayed by the opposition's falsehoods?

How the 11 crore farmers receiving PM-Kisan, the 3 crore formerly homeless people now with homes, the 9 crore people with gas connections, and the 5 crore families with tap water for the first time in 75 years will react to the opposition's insults?

The Prime Minister noted that even the Ayushmaan Bharat beneficiaries, who have benefitted from the scheme and saved their lives, will not accept the opposition's allegations. He stated that the opposition's accusations will have to confront the people they have forced to endure hardship.

18. PM Modi said that people’s blessings are his ‘suraksha kavach’ which opposition's 'weapon of lies' could never breach. 

19. India's First Tribal President: A Matter of Pride

The nation takes great pride in having a president from the tribal community. Under this government, sacrifices made by tribal women and men for the nation have been acknowleged after decades of neglect.

The appointment of a tribal president symbolizes the granting of their rightful place in society, acknowledging their contributions and the importance of their presence in leadership roles. This is a proud moment for the tribal community and the nation as a whole.

20. Removing Obstacles on the Path of Women Empowerment

PM spoke about his efforts to empower women and how it has a ripple effect on the entire family, society, and nation. He was met with criticism for discussing toilets during a Red Fort address, but he emphasized the crucial role they play in providing dignity to women.

He also highlighted the positive impact of providing access to sanitary napkins, smoke-free homes, and safe water sources. The Prime Minister also noted his initiatives to connect 9 crore women through SHGs and open up opportunities in mining and defense for women.

21. Fulfilling Aspirations of India's Middle Class

PM Modi discussed how vote bank politics had a detrimental impact on the nation's growth and how the middle class had been neglected for decades. He highlighted how the current government has recognized their honesty and hard work. He cited examples of how the government has addressed the aspirations of the middle class, such as reducing the cost of 1 GB data from Rs 250 to Rs 10, which saves each citizen an average of Rs 5000 per month.

The Prime Minister also mentioned the Jan Aushadhi centers providing affordable medicines, saving Rs 20,000 crore for the middle class, and initiatives such as RERA and affordable home loans.

22. India Gaining Speed on Infra Development

Before colonisation, India was renowned for its infrastructure and architectural prowess. Despite gaining independence, the country struggled to regain momentum in this sector. However, today, the country is making rapid progress in building modern infrastructure to power India's growth.

23. India's Ingrained Positivity

PM emphasised the inherently positive nature of Indian society, rejecting negativity and embracing the principles of 'Karma.' This insight, he said he gathered after years of travelling through the length and breadth of the country and interacting with people from all across the countrty.

24. Kashmir: Then and Now

The PM stated that people are now visiting J&K without any fear. He reminisced about his 'Tiranga Yatra' in the 1990s, during which he vowed to hoist the Indian flag at Lal Chowk on Republic Day, despite threats from terrorists. He declared in a public meeting that he would visit Lal Chowk without security or a bulletproof jacket, at a time when the region was experiencing peak insurgency.

The PM then highlighted that J&K has seen a surge in tourism and that the people of the region are now participating in the "Har Ghar Tiranga" initiative. He pointed out that those who once warned against hoisting the Indian flag in the valley are now taking part in the Congress's Tiranga rally.

He also mentioned that theaters in Kashmir are running at full capacity and separatists are nowhere in sight.

25. Opposition Failing, But India Passing

PM Modi said that the times have changed. Those who once were in power have continued to fail, even after going to the opposition. But the country is passing every test.