PM Modi addressed the media ahead of the 18th Lok Sabha Session today.
Starting off the first Parliament session in his third term on the front foot, the Prime Minister launched an 'Emergency' attack towards the main Opposition Congress before the Lok Sabha met this morning.
Addressing the media before the House met, the Prime Minister said this June 25 -- tomorrow -- will mark the 50th anniversary of the Emergency and called it a "black spot" on the country's democracy.
This Parliament sessions comes after the general elections and the Opposition is buoyed by its good show that restricted the BJP below the majority mark. The Prime Minister has returned to the top post with the support of NDA allies and the Opposition plans to use its numerical strength to corner the government on the House floor.
The tone of the Prime Minister's address, however, suggests that the BJP may have suffered a setback, but it has no plan to let the Opposition have its way.
The Prime Minister assured the people that the government will work three times harder in its third term and deliver three-fold results.
This election, he said, was significant because this is only the second government after Independence that has been chosen to continue for a third term in a row. "This opportunity has come after 60 years. When people have chosen a government for the third term, it means a stamp on its intent, a stamp on its policies and its dedication. I thank the people for this," he told the media.
Referring to the Emergency imposed by the then Indira Gandhi government, he said, "Tomorrow marks 50 years of the black spot on Indian democracy. The new generation will not forget how the Indian Constitution was scrapped, how the country was turned into a jail and democracy was captured. In this 50th anniversary, the country will take a pledge that never again will it happen."
The Prime Minister said the government will consistently try to take everyone along to serve the country and its people, but added a stern message for the Opposition. "India needs a responsible Opposition, people want substance not slogans, they want debate, diligence not drama and disturbance in Parliament. I hope the Opposition will live up to the people's expectations," he said.
The country, he said, has a lot of expectations from MPs and urged them to take every possible step for public welfare. The Prime Minister congratulated the newly elected MPs and noted that this is the first time new MPs will take the oath in the new Parliament building.
The Prime Minister's remarks and swipes targeting the Congress drew a sharp response. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the country was expecting that the Prime Minister would speak about the protests surrounding NEET, the train accident in West Bengal or the continuing violence in Manipur.
"You are warning the Opposition. You are talking about the 50-year-old Emergency, but have forgotten the undeclared Emergency in the last 10 years," Mr Kharge said, adding that the people have "given a mandate against Modiji". The Congress chief said the INDIA Opposition bloc will raise the people's voice inside and outside the Parliament.