New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at his critics and rivals Thursday as he delivered his Independence Day address to the nation from the ramparts of Delhi's Red Fort. Declaring them "full of negativity", the Prime Minister said "some people do not want to see India grow".
"People need to understand that a few people with a negative mindset (are) conspiring to create imbalance in country. Nepotism and casteism are harming society... we have to get rid of these from politics," the Prime Minister said in comments seen as jabs against fierce rivals Congress.
The PM and his BJP frequently attack the "dynastic politics" of the Congress and its 'first family' - the Gandhis - accusing the party and the family of not having the country's interest at heart.
In his speech today the Prime Minister also hit out at the spectre of corruption, declaring, "I want to create fear in minds of the corrupt to stop the tradition of looting the common man."
Last month, after the BJP secured a third consecutive term at the centre, thanks to the seats won by allies after the party itself fell 32 seats short of majority - the PM vowed to continue his crackdown on corruption, saying federal agencies had been given "full freedom" to act.
The Prime Minister's sharp attack comes after a tumultuous first Parliament session of his third term, in which there were clashes between the government and the opposition on issues like the Waqf Bill, the rising cost of living, and, most recently, the disqualification of wrestler Vinesh Phogat from the Paris Olympics. The political crisis in Bangladesh also led to tension.
The big clash, though, was over the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, parts of which the Congress slammed as having been copied from its manifesto.
There was also controversy over what the opposition said was lack of funds for states not ruled by the BJP or allies. The opposition pointed to financial packages for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, which are ruled by key BJP allies Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu, to back their claim.
The government, however, rubbished these allegations, insisting that all states received due attention. Nirmala Sitharaman, in her reply in Parliament, also directed attention to budget speeches made by earlier governments, specifically those led by the Congress.
"I have been picking up on Budgets since 2004-5. In 2004-5, 17 states were not named in the budget speech. 16 states not named in 2006-07... In 2009, 26 states were not named -- Bihar and UP," she said. "I want to ask the UPA government -- did money not go to those states?"