Budget will lay foundation for Viksit Bharat dream, says Modi

It is a matter of pride that India is the fastest growing country among the big economies, he said. “We are growing with a continuous growth rate of 8% in the last three years. Today, the positive outlook, investment and performance in India are at the peak of opportunity. This in itself is an important milestone in India’s development journey,” Modi said.

Without naming any member or party, Modi alluded to the sloganeering by the Opposition members during his reply to the debate on Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address during the first session of Lok Sabha.

“Aapane dekha hoga ki Parliament ke nae sansad gathan hone ke baad jo pahala satr tha, 140 crore desh vasiyon ke bahumat ke saath jis sarakaar ko seva karane ka hukum kiya hai desh vasiyon ne, uski awaz ko kuchal ne ka alokataantrik prayas hua. Dhaee ghante tak desh ke pradhan mantri ka gala ghotne ka, unki awaz ko rokane ka, unki awaz ko dabaane ka lokataantrik paramparaon mein koi sthaan nahi ho sakta hai. Aur in sabaka pashchaataap tak nahin hai, dil mein dard tak nahin hai. (You must have seen that in the first session of the Parliament, there was an undemocratic attempt to suppress the voice of the government which was voted to serve by the majority of 140 crore people of the country. For two and a half hours, suppressing the voice of the country’s Prime Minister cannot have any place in democratic traditions. And there is no remorse for all this, there is no pain in their hearts),” Modi said.

He said that the parties had fought against each other in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections, and through extensive campaigns told the people what they wanted to do for them and the people have returned the verdict. The PM said that all MPs should now come together and fight for the country for the next five years by rising above party lines in the House. “Go to the battlefields of elections in January 2029. Till then, the only priority should be the country, its poor, farmers, women and the youth,” he said.

Modi lamented that many Parliamentarians could not get any opportunity to put forward their views and the issues pertaining to their constituencies due to the negative approach of some political parties and appealed to all parties to give opportunities to all members, especially the first-time members, to present their views.

“Today, I want to insist that the countrymen have sent us here for the country, not for the party. This House is not for the party, this House is for the country,” he said.

“I believe that all our honourable MPs will enrich the discussion with full preparation, no matter how many opposing views there may be, opposing views are not bad, negative views are bad,” he said.