Modi asks MPs to tom-tom govt policies

On the eve of the resumption of the Budget Session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked his party MPs to “confidently” highlight the achievements of the NDA regime, saying it will be more “beneficial” if the Opposition attacks the government in Parliament.

At a workshop for party MPs, Modi asked them to flag the contrast between the pro-poor measures taken by the UPA and his government, giving an overview of various initiatives and “bold” decisions taken by the BJP-led coalition for the welfare of the poor and farmers since it came to power at the Centre last year.

“Hold your head high, be confident and tell the people what we are doing for them and they will laud you. All decisions I am taking are for the welfare of the poor. You need to propagate this message. You need to draw a comparison between the work done by previous governments and our government,” he said.

Modi, however, observed that his government’s achievements and initiatives, taken for the benefit of the poor, were not being propagated adequately by BJP leaders. “I will not blame media for this. We do not project them (government’s initiatives and achievement) in a way we should,” he said.

Modi underlined the need to take the “right message” directly to the people to counter political campaigns against the NDA government.  “We want land to build houses for the poor. It is the poor who need houses. We are working to provide houses to everybody.

Who will benefit from it? Rich? Are we doing it for owner of some TV channel or newspaper? Are we going to build a house for Mukesh Ambani? Is it wrong to dream that poor have houses, electricity, water, hospitals and schools? All policies of the government are in this direction,” he added.

Modi underlined that his government was driven by ‘Rashtraniti (policies for the nation’s progress)’ and not politics. “Politics says we should waste public exchequer, distribute it and receive public praise. This politics has destroyed the country,” he added.

Criticising the Opposition, Modi said “some people” had a ‘Janmjaat’ (congenital) habit of running down the BJP and had decided “not to hear anything good, not to say anything good and not to see anything good.”

“We should not waste our time on them. We should focus on those who want to listen. You should become more active and tell people what all we are doing," he said.

Modi also attacked the media, asking the BJP MPs not to think about what it was saying.
Modi lamented that he recently visited three nations, but the public discourse remained confined to the deal on the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter planes from France.

He asked BJP MPs to come prepared for the upcoming session of Parliament, saying, “In a way the second phase of the session is stronger because MPs come back with more focus. I am sure this half would be full of quality debates and outcomes."