Follow Us
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 24
For someone known for his simple living (in a hut), BJP’s Odisha MP and Union Minister Pratap Chandra Sarangi packed quite a punch when he today initiated a debate in the Lok Sabha on the motion of thanks to the President’s address taking on the Opposition amid continuous interruptions in the House.
PM Modi was seen laughing heartily while Sarangi packed verbal punches at the Opposition. Delivered largely in Hindi, his speech was interspersed with Bangla, Odiya, English, Sanskrit shlokas, stories from Ramayana and anecdotes.
The first-time MP from Balasore in Odisha spent the maximum part of his maiden speech praising PM Narendra Modi and berating the Opposition on corruption, dynasty and running a negative campaign against the PM.
Recounting various international awards and accolades earned by the PM, he asked the Opposition to apologise to Modi for undermining him. “Is it not a matter of pride for India? Irrespective of your party affiliation, are you not feeling proud?” he said.
At one point in time, he said, “I had before me the role model of the great Swami Vivekananda who was known as Narendra in his boyhood and another Narendra, my PM, Shri Narendra Modi, who himself comes from a humble background, and has seen and experienced poverty.” “Those who do not love our country, do not accept its integrity, do not accept ‘Vande Mataram’, do they deserve to live in India,” Sarangi said to which members of Treasury Benches responded “no, not at all”.