PM’s speech shows arrogance, lack of confidence: Opposition

PM’s speech shows arrogance, lack of confidence: Opposition

NEW DELHI: Accusing the Prime Minister of hypocrisy for opposing the enumeration of backward castes, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said Narendra Modi in the Parliament called himself the “biggest OBC” after spending months claiming that the only two castes in the country are “rich and poor”.

Rahul’s reference was to Modi’s “only rich and poor” counter to his demand for caste census during the assembly election campaign.

“It is important to change this mentality of considering someone small and someone big. Be it OBC, Dalit or tribal, economic and social justice cannot be provided to them without counting them. When Modi speaks so much of inanities, why is he afraid of counting,” he said.

The opposition slammed the PM’s speech in Lok Sabha, replete with claims of his government’s achievements and of BJP set to win 370 seats in the coming elections, as a rhetoric which betrayed lack of confidence.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore said, “Will Modi not take oath if BJP doesn’t touch 370? He should answer first. This kind of dream of BJP has always failed, it is going to be ‘India Shining-2’.”

Shashi Tharoor mocked that Modi was giving the same speech again and again, and wondered if he was tired. “Nehru died 60 years ago and he keeps singing the same Nehru song. What has happened to Modi? I think he needs fresh energy,” the Congress MP said, referring to the PM’s attack on the country’s first premier.

Congress’s Gaurav Gogoi said the PM’s words reminded him of Rahul’s warning in LS that “Ravana was defeated by his arrogance”. Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy said the PM’s claim about winning a third term “reeked of arrogance”.

CPI leader Binoy Viswam said, “This high-sounding rhetoric of the PM shows he is not confident about victory, he is afraid of elections.”

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