This Article is From Mar 03, 2015

Not Working for Corporates or Rich, But For the Poorest: PM Modi in Parliament

File phorto of Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking in the Rajya Sabha

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today spoke in the Rajya Sabha during a debate on the President's address to Parliament.

Here are the highlights:

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins his address.
  • In the debate (on President's address to Parliament) many members participated in great detail and I am thankful to them
  • This is the Council of States, more important to represent the state than parties here
  • In the debate many members participated in great detail and I am thankful to them
  • More than the party we belong to, it is about the State that we represent in this House
  • In a democracy, threats do not and cannot work. For 14 years in Gujarat, I was threatened with jail
  • We do not feel that just because we are in the treasury benches we know it all. Everyone has to work together
  • I had said from the ramparts of the Red Fort. Every government, every PM has contributed in taking this country forward.
  • Governments do not run this country, it is the people of India who do
  • We don't think that the birth of the nation took place on August 15, 1947. It happened thousands of years before that.
  • UPA accuses us of renaming schemes, they renamed NDA's schemes
  • Go from Kutch to Arunachal Pradesh, and you'll see it is represented by BJP in this House. There was a time when people thought this was a party from the Hindi belt.
  • There was a time when people said this was a party of the upper castes, after seeing me those people may have had to change their views.
  • The perceptions you talk about are very old; BJP isn't an upper caste or Hindi-belt party
  • BJP is in power in states with high Christian, Sikh and Muslim voters
  • The poor of this country wants a better quality of life
  • Jan Dhan Yojana opened bank accounts for the poor, is that a program for the corporates or the rich?
  • This Swachhata Abhiyaan, is this for corporates? Can we not provide basic cleanliness facilities to the common man?
  • The money from coal auctions goes to states in the eastern belt and this will aid in their development. Is that going to benefit the corporate world?
  • When we build toilets in schools is this for corporates? Is soil health cards for corporates?
  • We have many hands but we need skills in those hands. Skill development will help the poorest of the poor.
  • There can be no political agenda in this. We will ask the Congress-ruled states to come with us in this national cause.
  • I believe that to take the nation to the next level we will have to work together and focus on India's social issues.
  • The Congress seems pained at transfer of bureaucrats.
    Both Ghulam Nabi ji and Anand ji spoke about officers being transferred. Do we remember what happened in 2004?
  • In 2004, the Congress government was formed and they removed the Cabinet Secretary, the Home Secretary, the Defence Secretary and ignored seniority for appointing the Foreign Secretary. You insulted Governors and removed them.
  • The more you bend down (metaphor for humility) the closer you are to ground reality.
  • Railways and highways, they are both under the Government but one did not approve project of the other. We changed that.
  • Development can happen through 'Neeti' and 'Reeti'
  • Whatever we are doing, let us take it to the ground and take it to the people. Our efforts are in that direction.
  • We have to take 'Make in India' forward, develop infrastructure to create job opportunities in India.
  • We are giving importance to a digital India and mobile governance.
  • (PM on government's progress to track black money) - We will fulfill our objective of getting the country's black money stashed abroad back to India.
  • (PM to Opposition) - Don't make the land bill an issue of politics or arrogance. Please don't preach that compensation will reduce...We have not touched the clauses on compensation in the law.
  • The law will stay, we have to remove what is lacking in that law.
  • The government in Jammu and Kashmir has been formed basis the Common Minimum Program and that's how the state will be governed.
  • PM Modi on Country's Foreign Policy - Hum aankh jhuka kar jeena pasand nahi karte aur aankh dikha kar bhi rishtey nahi bantey. Hum aankh mila kar chalna chatey hai.

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