Continuing his tirade against the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the BJP was only following Mahatma Gandhi's dream of 'Congress Mukt Bharat' and wondered whether the grand-old party still wanted the "Old India" marked by Emergency, scams and massacre of Sikhs.
Replying to the debate in the Rajya Sabha on the Motion of Thanks for the President's address, Modi also urged the MPS to have a "constructive discussion" on holding of simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies.
He also criticised the Congress for non-passage of a bill to provide constitutional status to OBC Commission and the legislation against triple talaq.
He questioned the grand old party for the long delay in conferring Bharat Ratna to Saradar Vallabh Bhai Patel and Constitution's architect B R Ambedkar.
Earlier in the Lok Sabha, he said the country has been suffering due to the "wrong" policies the Congress has pursued since independence as the party has spent time singing paeans to one family instead of focussing on people's welfare.
In the Upper House, Modi countered Opposition criticism of his government's vision of 'New India' and said the Congress wanted 'Old India', a country envisaged by Mahatma Gandhi.
"I also want India of Gandhi's dream. And Gandhi had said since the country has got independence, now Congress is not required and should be disbanded.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today made a blistering attack on the Congress in Parliament on multiple fronts.
The offensive against the main opposition party and the Nehru-Gandhi family came during the course of Modi's marathon reply in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha to the debate on the motion of thanks on the President's address.
Some of the key points made by Modi in his fiery attack on the Congress were:
--BJP was only following Mahatma Gandhi's dream of 'Congress Mukt Bharat'. Asked if the Congress still wanted the "Old India" marked by Emergency, scams and massacre of Sikhs.
---Attacks the Congress for non-passage of a bill to provide constitutional status to OBC Commission and the legislation against triple talaq.
---Questions the Congress for the long delay in conferring Bharat Ratna on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Dalit icon B R Ambedkar. If Patel had been prime minister, then a part of Jammu and Kashmir would not be in Pakistan's control, says Modi.
---Criticises the Congress spending its long time in power in singing paens to a family at the cost of counrty's development, causing it to lag behind in progress.
---Says criticising him is alright but the Congress ends up criticising India.
---Says opposition parties have nothing against his government so they target international agencies which are giving India a higher rating in various fields.
---You call us name changers but we are aim changers - we work hard and have ushered in a paradigm shift in the working of government, Modi on the Congress accusing his government of only repackaging or renaming old schemes and programmes.
---If you continue with your petty-mindedness, then you will remain seated in opposition, Modi tells the Congress ---Says our government's policies are integrated and have a big vision for the country unlike the Congress.
---Takes a dig at the Congress when he quotes Jairam Ramesh as having said that though the 'Sultanate' has gone, the party leaders continue to behave like 'Sultans'.
---Dubs Non Performing Assets(NPAs) of the banks as the Congress-led UPA government's "sin".
