New Delhi: Ahead of the Budget session Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked the opposition for what he described as their attempt to “stifle” his voice in “an undemocratic manner” in the first session of Parliament.
The opposition parties, he said, were using Parliament’s time to deflect their own failure and asked them to rise above party politics.
“You must have seen that in the first session of Parliament, an attempt was made to stifle the voice of the government that has been elected with a majority by 140 crore people of the country. For 2.5 hours, an attempt was made to suppress the voice of the Prime Minister. The people of the country have sent us for the country and not for the party. This Parliament is for the country, not for the party…,” Modi said, referring to the sloganeering when he addressed the House during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address.
He sought to reach out to the opposition benches, urging them to shun their negativity and past bitterness to work for development in the next five years and to rise above party lines.
“I would like to request all the MPs of the country that we have fought as much as we had to, but now that period is over, the public has given its verdict. I would like to ask all the parties to rise above party lines and dedicate themselves to the country and use this dignified platform of Parliament for the next 4.5 years. In the election year of January 2029, you can play any game, but till then we should participate in the empowerment of the farmers, youth and the country…,” he said.
The Parliament is not for any specific ‘dal’ (party) but for ‘desh’ (the country), Modi said.
“It’s a sacred institution dedicated to the nation’s welfare, not for personal interest. We must shed negativity and embrace a constructive approach and honour the temple of democracy,” he added.
“Today is the first Monday of Sawan. An important session is starting on this auspicious day. I extend my greetings to the countrymen. The Monsoon session of Parliament is starting today. Today the whole country is looking at it. This should be a positive session…,” he said, addressing the nation ahead of the Budget session.
Lauding the country’s economic growth, he said that the Budget would help build the strong foundation of India.
“It is a matter of pride that after 60 years, a government has come to power for the third time and will present the first Budget for the third time. I have been giving guarantees to the people of the country, and our mission is to bring this to the ground. This Budget is an important budget for ‘Amrit Kaal’. Today’s budget will decide the direction for the next five years of our term. This budget will also become a strong foundation of our dream of ‘Viksit Bharat’,” he said.
The budget would mark a crucial milestone in the journey of ‘Amrit Kaal’ (golden period), he said.
“This budget will set the tone and trajectory for the next five years. It will play a pivotal role in shaping the destiny of our nation, propelling us towards achieving our vision of a developed India by 2047,” the prime minister added.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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