"Not Answering Important Questions Like...": Congress Chief On PM's Speech

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge today said that the speeches given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in both Houses of Parliament were normal speeches and said that the government did not answer questions raised by the opposition.

Congress President termed the Prime Minister's speech in both Houses of Parliament as an everyday speech and said that the government is arrogant and is not answering important questions like inflation, unemployment or those posed on the Adani row.

He said that the value of the Rupee is continuously falling, 71,000 primary schools are being closed and the number of private educational institutions are increasing all over the country and the Prime Minister is not giving any answers.

The Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said that arrogance of the Prime Minister is reflected in the statement that only he can save the country.

Yesterday in the Upper House of Parliament PM Modi took a dig at the Nehru-Gandhi family over many schemes named after its members and asked why they were "scared of keeping the Nehru surname".

Replying to the debate in Rajya Sabha on the motion of thanks to the President's address, PM Modi targeted Congress leaders who accused the government of trying to obliterate the significance of the work done by India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

The opposition parties have been demanding a joint parliamentary committee probe into the Hindenburg-Adani row.

PM Modi said he had read somewhere that more than 600 government schemes were named after the Nehru-Gandhi family.

"Some had problems with the names of schemes of govt and Sanskrit words in the names. I read in a report that 600 government schemes were in the Gandhi-Nehru family's name...I don't understand why people from their generation don't keep Nehru as their surname, what's the fear and shame?" PM Modi said.

"If such a big personality is not acceptable to you, you ask an account from us," he asked.

The Prime Minister also accused the Congress of toppling state governments during its rule.

With some opposition parties favouring the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme, PM Modi also touched upon the issue of states' economy.

He noted that there are political differences among parties, and urged them not to play with the economic health of the country.

"We may have political and ideological differences and parties may have few complaints against each other, but don't play with the economic health of the country. Do not commit such a sin that takes away the rights of your children," he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)