PM: Cong insulted voters by questioning EVMs, BJP win

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 26

Continuing with his attack on the Congress, PM Narendra Modi, in his first speech in the Rajya Sabha after the Lok Sabha election results, said, it was an insult to voters of the country to question efficacy and veracity of EVMs and BJP’s resounding victory.

In his reply to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, Modi, while claiming there has to be a limit to the arrogance of the Opposition party, Modi said there was a problem with the Congress “as it does not accept defeat and cannot digest victory”.

The motion was passed by Parliament, as the Rajya Sabha adopted it by voice vote. The Lok Sabha had passed it yesterday. “After such a big mandate, you say you (BJP) have won, but the country has lost... If the Congress loses, does the country get defeated? Does the Congress mean the country and the country means the Congress. There is a limit to arrogance,” the PM said, adding that such utterances pain him to see the voters’ wisdom being questioned. Modi wondered whether the victories of the Congress in Wayanad and Rae Bareli seats were also “defeat of the country”. He said, “I want to tell them, there was a time when we were two MPs in Parliament. People mocked us. But, we worked harder and won the trust of people. We did not make excuses and blame the polling booth (EVMs).”

Touching upon the issue of “One nation, one election”, the PM said, “People may not like the idea or have inputs on this. But, it is important to present these ideas and have discussion on the subject.”

Modi also wondered why Opposition parties were opposing the idea of “New India”. “Do we need that Old India where Cabinet proposals were torn at press conferences or where there were scams all over and support was extended to the ‘tukde tukde’ gang. Do we need that old India where there was corruption,” he said.

Modi said he was saddened by the lynching incident in Jharkhand. “It has pained me. It has saddened others, too. But, some people in the Rajya Sabha are calling Jharkhand a hub of lynching. Is this fair? Why are they insulting a state? None of us have the right to insult the state of Jharkhand,” he noted while saying whether it was Jharkhand, West Bengal or Kerala, incidents of violence should be treated in the same manner and perpetrators of violence should brought to justice to show unity of purpose.

What the Prime Minister said 

• If the Congress loses, does the country get defeated? Does the Congress mean the country and the country means the Congress. There is a limit to arrogance
• Do we need that ‘Old India’ where Cabinet proposals were torn at press conferences or where there were scams all over and support was extended to ‘tukde tukde’ gang

BJP issues whip to its LS members

• The BJP has issued whip to its members in the Lok Sabha asking them to be present on Friday and Monday
• Sources said the whip has been issued as some important legislations are likely to be taken up for passage