Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed the Lok Sabha and replied to Motion of Thanks to President Pranab Mukherjee’s address. From the former prime minister Indira Gandhi’s decisions during Emergency between 1975 and 1977 to the earthquake felt across north India on Monday night, Modi spared no opportunities to attack the opposition and defend his government.

What he said on...

Demonetisation

“It does not matter how big you are, you will have to give back what belongs to the poor; My fight is for the poor.”

“Aise aise bade logon ko takleef ho rhi hai aur aage aur hone wali hai.” (The big people are having trouble and will continue to do so).

“The Opposition does not want to engage in demonetisation debate because they know I will gain from it.”

“Surgical strike was a big decision but no one is questioning about it like they do about demonetisation.”

He also said the decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes was made at the right time. “When can you have an operation? When the body is healthy. Similarly, the economy was in a strong condition and our note-ban decision was taken at the best time.”

The Swachh Bharat campaign

“I was surprised that there were some who made cleanliness also a political issue. Why can’t we work together on ushering a swachh bharat?”

Putting the nation before electoral politics

“We do not see everything through the prism of elections; The interests of the nation are supreme for us”

“Let us understand and appreciate the inherent strength of our people and take India to newer heights; Faith in jan shakti [the power of the people] will give results.”

The Opposition (Congress)

“Bhukamp aa hi gaya, koi to kaaran hoga, dharti maa rooth gayi hongi” (The earthquake came after all, there must be a reason, Mother earth must be upset.)

In December, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi had said if he spoke in Parliament about Modi’s note ban, an earthquake will take place...And an earthquake measuring 5.8 on Richter scale was recorded in Uttarakhand on Monday night. The tremors were felt across north India.

The Emergency

“We remember how democracy was under threat from 1975 to 1977, when Opposition leaders were jailed, newspaper freedom curtailed.”