Modi attacks TMC, DMK; slams Congress for 'ideological bankruptcy'

PM Modi slammed the TMC and DMK governments for blocking central schemes. He also attacked Congress for its 'shirtless protest' at the AI Summit, calling the party 'ideologically bankrupt' and a mere 'toolkit for opposition' with no good intentions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday attacked the Trinamool Congress government in Bengal and the DMK-led government in Tamil Nadu, alleging that they had blocked some welfare-oriented schemes of the central government. Addressing the News18 Rising Bharat Summit here, PM Modi also launched a hard-hitting attack on Congress over IYC's "shirtless protest" during the AI Summit and said the opposition party "not only took off its clothes in front of foreign guests, but also exposed its ideological bankruptcy". He alleged that it has become "merely a toolkit for opposition in the name of ideology".

PM attacks TMC, DMK for blocking central schemes

PM Modi alleged that Congress and its allies "have never worked with good intentions". "They have no concern for the suffering and pain of the poor. For example, the Ayushman Bharat scheme has not been implemented in Bengal to date," he alleged.

"Under the PM Awas Yojana, permanent houses are being built for the poor across the country. Nearly 950,000 permanent houses have been allotted to poor families in Tamil Nadu. But the construction of 300,000 of these houses has been stalled. Why? Because the DMK government is not showing any interest in building these houses for the poor. What is the reason for this? It is because of intentions?" he asked. West Bengal and Tamil Nadu will go to the polls in the first half of this year. Trinamool Congress and DMK are part of the INDIA alliance along with Congress.

'Congress exposed its ideological bankruptcy'

He said that as people were angry at the protest by the Indian Youth Congress, the Congress sought to invoke Mahatma Gandhi. "The AI Summit was a moment of pride for all of India. But unfortunately, the country's oldest party attempted to tarnish this national celebration. Congress not only took off its clothes in front of foreign guests, but also exposed its ideological bankruptcy. Clearly, this action has angered the nation. Therefore, they invoked Mahatma Gandhi to justify their sins," he said.

'Congress a toolkit for opposition'

"Congress does this every time. When it needs to hide its sins, it invokes Bapu, and when it needs to glorify itself, it gives all the credit to one family. Congress has now become merely a toolkit for opposition in the name of ideology," PM Modi said.

Rubbishing "vote chori" allegations of Congress, he said Congress has been losing support of people over the decades. He said first, the millennials taught Congress a lesson, and now the Gen Z is also ready "Congress's votes aren't being stolen, but rather, the people of the country no longer consider Congress worthy of voting. And this began after 1984. In 1984, Congress received 99 per cent of the vote and over 400 seats. In subsequent elections, Congress's vote share steadily declined, and today, Congress's plight is such that only four states in the country have more than 50 MLAs," he said

"First, the millennials taught Congress a lesson, and now Gen Z is also ready. Today, when we talk about a developed India by 2047, some people ask, 'Why are you talking about such a distant future?' Some even say, 'Modi won't be alive by then.' The truth is that nation-building is never done through short-term thinking. It is done through a larger vision, patience, and timely decisions," he added.

PM Modi said that in a democracy, opposition does not mean mere opposing anything blindly but presenting an alternative vision. "Whatever good the country does, whatever auspicious work is done for the country, the Congress has to oppose it. I have a long list. They opposed the construction of the new Parliament building. They opposed the lions on the Ashoka Pillar atop the Parliament. Their lions were running away after being hit by the shoes of common people (during AI summit protest)...For every success of the country, only one thing comes out of the Congress toolkit: opposition...In a democracy, opposition does not mean just blind opposition. In a democracy, an alternative opposition means an alternative viewpoint. That is why the people of the country are teaching the Congress a lesson..."

Vision for an 'Atmanirbhar, prosperous Bharat'

He said India spends over Rs 6 lakh crore annually on freight transported by foreign ships, Rs 2.25 lakh crore are spent annually on fertiliser imports and Rs 11 lakh crore rupees are spent annually on petroleum imports. "This means that lakhs of crores of rupees are flowing out of the country every year. If this investment had been made 20 or 25 years ago towards self-reliance, this capital today would be strengthening India's infrastructure, research, industry, farmers, and youth. Today, our government is working with this same vision. To avoid paying 6 lakh crore rupees to foreign ships, India is strengthening its shipping and port infrastructure," he said.

Thrust on self-reliance to cut import dependency

"New plants are being set up to increase domestic fertiliser production. Nano urea is being promoted. To reduce dependence on petroleum, ethanol blending, the Green Hydrogen Mission, solar, and electric mobility are being prioritized," he added.

PM Modi said his government is laying thrust on giving a boost to manufacturing. "If we manufacture products in India, the coming generation will not speak of imports, but of exports. A nation's progress is not measured by today's convenience, but by preparation for tomorrow," he said.

"Hard work guided by foresight is the foundation of an Atmanirbhar, empowered and prosperous Bharat by 2047. For this, no matter how much Congress tears its clothes in protest, we will continue to work relentlessly," he added.

'A confident India is rising'

The Prime Minister also said that his government is making India a growth engine of the world and noted that developed nations are eager to sign trade deals with India because a confident country "is rising beyond doubt and despair".

He said a new energy has flowed into the nation's consciousness in the last 11 years. "India hasn't been able to free itself from the mindset of slavery, and we're suffering its consequences. The most recent example of this is the ongoing discussions about trade deals. Some people are shocked, wondering, 'How did this happen? Why are developed countries so eager to strike trade deals with India?' The answer is a confident India emerging from despair and hopelessness," he said.

"If the country were still in the same despair as before 2013, counted among the Fragile Five, and mired in policy paralysis, who would strike trade deals with us? No one would even look at us. But in the last eleven years, a new energy has come into the country's thinking," he added. He said India is determined to regain its rightful strength.

PM Modi said that India's Digital Public Infrastructure has today become a subject of global discussion. He referred to the success of AI Impact Summit hosted by India earlier this month. "Today, every move India makes is closely watched and analysed across the world. The AI Summit is a clear example of this," he said.

"So far, in every industrial revolution, India and the Global South have largely remained followers. But in this age of artificial intelligence, India is not only participating, it is also shaping it. Today, we have our own AI start-up ecosystem," he added. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)