Damoh: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is controlled by remote. “He can’t do much. When the remote works, he abuses Sanatan (dharma). Yesterday, when the remote was not working, he spoke about Pandavas and said there are five Pandavas in the BJP. We are proud that we are walking on the path laid by the Pandavas,” Modi said at a rally here.
At a rally in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday, Kharge had referred to various government agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation, and Income Tax, along with PM Modi and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, as the “panch Pandavas” (five Pandavas) of the BJP.
“The Congress’ habit of remote (control) is not going away. Earlier the PM used to be controlled by remote. Now the Congress president is being operated by remote,” Modi said in the rally, responding to Kharge’s remarks.
“The Congress president is among the senior most people. He is my good friend also. But today he has been reduced to such a state that he can’t do anything,” Modi said.
“If the charging of the remote (control) is down or there is no connectivity, the Congress president (Kharge) is in his own mood and some good things come out of his mouth,” he said.
“Look at the state of Congress. When people gave that party 10 years to rule, you did not know what the (then) PM was speaking or doing because he did not have to do any work, he was being operated by remote,” Modi said.
Modi described Congress as a party that snatches money belonging to the poor, indulges in scams, and divides society for power.
Guna (MP)/Patna: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday tore into Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over his population control remarks, saying he did not even feel ashamed for using “derogatory” language against women, even as the JD(U) leader apologised for the comments that sparked a huge row.
Modi also slammed the opposition bloc INDIA and wondered why no leader of its constituents have uttered a word yet despite the “big disrespect” shown to women by a key leader of the grouping.
Facing mounting flak for his remarks made in the Bihar Legislative Assembly and Council on Tuesday on the importance of women’s education to control population growth, Nitish Kumar apologised in both Houses, which witnessed chaos, as well as outside and retracted his statement.
The National Commission for Women (NCW), meanwhile, shot off a letter to the Assembly Speaker demanding “strong action” against the chief minister for using “derogatory and cheap language”. Its chief Rekha Sharma was also locked in a war of words with Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi.
Addressing a rally in Guna in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, Modi said he will do whatever he can to ensure the respect of women, and also brought up Nitish Kumar’s remarks without taking his name.
“Yesterday, one of the INDI alliance’s big leaders who is holding the bloc’s flag high and playing different games to unseat the present government (at the Centre) used a language, which no one can even think of in a state assembly in the presence of mothers and sisters… he didn’t even feel ashamed of it,” said Modi.
Nitish Kumar, while emphasising the importance of education among women to control the population, on Tuesday put forward a vivid description of how an educated woman can restrain her husband during sexual intercourse.
“Those having such a vision, how can they keep your honour and respect? How low will they stoop? What an unfortunate situation for the country. I will do whatever I can to ensure your honour and respect,” Modi said.
“He (Nitish Kumar) does not have shame. Not only this, no leader of INDI alliance uttered a word despite such big disrespect for women,” he said and asked, “Those who have such a view against mothers and sisters, can they do any good?”
“Mothers and sisters, for your respect I will do whatever I can,” the prime minister asserted.
In Patna, Nitish Kumar was greeted at the Vidhan Sabha premises by a posse of MLAs, all belonging to the opposition BJP, carrying placards denouncing his utterances and demanding his resignation.
Nitish Kumar, the longest serving chief minister of Bihar, stood still at the entrance gate for some time, before marching towards a make-shift podium erected nearby, where leaders address journalists while the House is in session.
“I have come to know today that something I had said yesterday has not gone down well with many people. My intent was to highlight my government’s thrust on women’s empowerment and the role improved literacy among women plays in population control. Though if anybody’s sentiments have been hurt, I seek an apology and take back my words,” he said.
However, when the assembly session began at 11 am, BJP members led by the Leader of the Opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha trooped into the well, some of them even picking up chairs, meant for the reporting staff, to express their outrage.
The opposition members were raising slogans alleging that the CM had become “a mental case” and was hence unfit to govern Bihar.
Nitish Kumar rose in his seat and said, “I have told journalists outside that I am ready to apologise if my words were deemed to be offensive, even if I meant no offence. I condemn myself (hum apni ninda karte hain).”
However, the opposition members continued to create a ruckus, demanding the CM’s resignation.
The chief minister later went to the legislative council, where proceedings began at noon. BJP MLC Nivedita Singh, who had on the previous day voiced her outrage before journalists amid sobs, rose in her chair demanding the resignation of Nitish Kumar.
The chief minister said, “I offer my apology as I did earlier in front of journalists and on the floor of the assembly.”
Former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi, an MLC from the RJD, told PTI Video that she agreed what Nitish Kumar had said was not proper “but we should let bygones be bygones since he has apologised”.
“Let the BJP members not act too self-righteous. Their party rules Manipur where women were paraded naked. The state continues to be on fire and their leadership has been unconcerned,” she said.
NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma, who sent the letter to the Assembly Speaker demanding “strong action against the chief minister”, also came out with a strongly worded statement on X, urging opposition leaders like Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of the Congress to condemn Nitish Kumar, a key leader of the INDIA coalition.
Priyanka Chaturvedi hit back at Sharma, accusing her of being “biased and politically motivated”.
While senior BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy said Nitish Kumar’s statement is an epitome of perversion, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi said the chief minister by his “vulgar” remarks has sent a wrong message to the women of the country and Bihar.
JD(U) leader KC Tyagi, however, said there should be no politics over the chief minister’s remarks.
“In parliamentary culture, if a minister takes his statement back and apologises for it, the matter should ideally be closed but if someone is still bringing it up it means they are doing politics,” he said.
Activists of the Delhi BJP unit staged a demonstration near the Bihar Bhawan in the national capital and demanded Nitish Kumar’s resignation.
Morena: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday slammed the Congress for depriving ex-servicemen of one rank one pension (OROP) benefits and asserted his government implemented the long-pending scheme and paid Rs 70,000 crore to eligible defence veterans as he accused the opposition party of playing politics with the country’s security when in power.
Referring to a 2006 statement of then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he said the Congress thinks Muslims have the first claim on the country’s resources, while for his government the poor and deprived sections of society have the first right over them.
Terrorists who used to behead the country’s jawans and take away their heads with them were now getting a befitting reply, said Modi at a public meeting in Morena ahead of the November 17 assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh.
“The Congress (when in power) did not fulfil the demand for OROP implementation and earmarked just Rs 500 crore for it despite knowing well that the amount was very less. When the BJP came to power at the Centre in 2014, it fulfilled the long-pending demand of ex-servicemen and so far, the government has paid Rs 70,000 crore to them under the scheme,” Modi maintained.
OROP means soldiers of the same rank and the same length of service get the same pension, irrespective of their retirement date.
The Gwalior-Chambal division, where Morena is located, is an area from where a large number of youths join the armed forces.
The PM said his government opened the doors of Sainik Schools for girls and facilitated the deployment of women officers in forward areas.
“Modi fulfils every guarantee and OROP is an example of it. The Congress did not pay attention to ex-servicemen’s demand for OROP for four decades. It only lies and gives false guarantees,” said the BJP’s star campaigner.
Hitting out at the country’s oldest political party, Modi alleged it played politics with national security during its long rule at the Centre.
“It is necessary for young people to know that the Congress played politics with the country’s security. After Independence, among the scams that came to light, one was related to the Army,” he added.
“The Congress armed our defence forces with foreign weapons and made them dependant on such armaments. Soldiers deployed on the border were deprived of good facilities,” he alleged.
Modi said erstwhile Congress governments did not act when terrorists targeted Indian soldiers.
“Terrorists used to behead our soldiers and take away their heads with them, but the Congress government of the day just kept it hands folded and sat. During terrorist attacks, help were sought from foreign countries,” the PM stated.
However, things have changed under the BJP-led government, he maintained.
“But today’s Bharat is a new Bharat. The Army gives befitting reply to terrorists by entering into their home. Today, soldiers deployed on the border are given modern facilities and arms and ammunition made in India,” the PM asserted.
Deprived sections of society are benefitting from the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, the Centre’s free foodgrain scheme for the poor which has been extended for five more years, he said.
“The Congress says Muslims have the first right over the country’s resources. For us, the poor and deprived sections have first right over the country’s resources. For Modi, the poor is the biggest caste and the largest beneficiaries of the Garib Kalyan Yojna are the people belonging to SC/ST and OBC categories,” the PM added.
Modi said his government has given a guarantee of providing pucca houses to the poor and so far, 48 lakh homes had been given to beneficiaries in Madhya Pradesh.
The PM said the Ayushman Yojna was another guarantee of the government and it ensures every person gets medical treatment up to Rs 5 lakh free of cost and does not suffer in absence of money.
For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest India News on India.com.
