Prime Minister Modi In Lok Sabha: 23 Highlights From 90 Minutes

1. India has allayed fears of the West over its very survival

When the British left India, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the very beginning of his speech, they would say that India is a sub-continent of many nations and can never survive as a single one.

Yet, India survived, and that is something to be proud of, said the Prime Minister.

2. India's fightback against Covid-19 a turning point

According to Prime Minister Modi, the way India not only fought back against coronavirus, but helped other countries in their fight too, is a turning point.

This achievement, he added, came from the inspirations that stretched from the Vedas to Swami Vivekananda.

3. New world order after Covid-19

A new world order is inevitable after Covid-19, said the Prime Minister. He emphasised that in such a new order, India cannot be a mere spectator, like it was in the order that came up after the World Wars.

To be a participant in this new order, to establish its position on the global stage, India needs the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, said Modi.

4. Discipline of 130 crore Indians saved us and should be celebrated

We cannot be self-flagellating and expect the world to honour us, said the Prime Minister. It is due to the discipline of 130 crore Indians that the country was able to defeat and fight coronavirus and this must be applauded, praised and celebrated, according to the Prime Minister.

5. JAM trinity enabled us to transfer Rs 2 lakh crore to beneficiaries during corona times; who were those who were opposing Aadhaar?

Prime Minister Modi stressed that it was only due to trinity of Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile that direct transfers amounting to a total of Rs 2 lakh crore could be sent to the vulnerable sections of the population during the lockdown phase.

He then went on to question those who had petitioned the Supreme Court against the Aadhaar.

6. Congress should have discussed content of farm laws instead of their colour.

7. Government respects sentiments of protesting farmers.

Government talking to farmers since the protests were happening in Punjab.

We are ready to carry out any specific amendment to correct any shortfalls in the laws, said the Prime Minister.

8. MSP (minimum support price) not withdrawn but increased AFTER the new laws came into effect.

9. [On Congress walking out] Congress disturbing House to stop facts from coming out; they will not be able to win the confidence of the people even with this.

10. New farm laws merely give an alternative market to farmers, and that is optional, NOT compulsory. When nothing has been made compulsory, why the protest?

11. Andolan-kaaris do not resort to pessimistic tactics, Andolan-jeevis do.

12. Listing of laws that nobody demanded and yet they were introduced:

-Law against dowry
-Law against triple talaq
-Law against child marriage
-Law for rights of girl-child in inheritance
-Right to Education

13. Nobody demanded for Kisan Samman Nidhi and yet we introduced it.

14. People like Raja Rammohun Roy, Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar, Babasaheb Ambedkar took upon themselves the responsibility to go against the tide and bring about a change. Someone has to take up responsibility to bring about change.

15. In a diverse country like India, any decision will of course not be liked by everybody but the larger interest of the nation must always be kept in mind.

16. Are we a feudalistic society that a government should only 'give' something when the people 'ask' for it?

17. Indian culture, tradition, festivals are intricately tied with agriculture. Even when Indians bless others, they use the phrase dhan-dhaanya (wealth-foodstocks).

18. Massive potential and possibilities in Indian agriculture. For example, we think that strawberry is a crop of cold regions but would you believe that Kacchh (Kutch) in Gujarat and Bundelkhand in Uttar Pradesh-Madhya Pradesh are producing strawberries.

19. Eighteenth century agrarian policies cannot be carried forward in the twenty-first century.

20. Want to remind Congress that both public and private sectors are important. The Prime Minister added that if India is making the world realise its value now, a large part of the credit for that goes to the private sector.

21. Wealth distribution needs wealth creators. Why should sarkari babus manage everything in the country, why not trust our youth as well?

22. Sacred farmer protests defiled by Andolan Jeevis

I believe the farmer movement to be sacred, but the movement is being defiled not by Andolan kaaris but by Andolan jeevis.

When demands to free terrorists and Naxals are made from the stage of farmers, the movement is defiled.

When toll plazas are vandalised, the farmer movement is defiled.

When telecom towers are vandalised, the farmer movement is defiled.

23. Many people just want to say right things but don't want to do the right thing

Those who talk of gender equality, oppose laws against triple talaq.

Those who speak against pollution in Delhi go and stand with the cause of stubble-burning.