Opposition leaders on Monday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his reference to 'aandolan jeevi' (professional protesters) and support for the farmers' protest from abroad as "Foreign Destructive Ideology" during his address in Rajya Sabha, saying it comes from someone whose governance is based on "Fear, Deception, Intimidation".
Modi made the reference to professional protesters and FDI as Foreign Destructive Ideology during his reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address in Rajya Sabha.
"In Parliament today, PM Modi said that FDI is also 'Foreign Destructive Ideology'. This from someone whose governance has been based solely on FDI — Fear, Deception, Intimidation," Congress Chief Whip Jairam Ramesh tweeted.
CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury also attacked Modi for his comments saying, "Aandolan jeevi? People protest for saving their lives and for security, for greater opportunities and ensuring better livelihood. Protesters are not parasites, they are patriots. Those who grab power on the strength of protests are (parasites)."
Former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader MP P Chidambaram also found fault with Modi's coinage and said "this mindset" of the BJP should go. He said human rights know no borders and India has been commenting on international issues for long.
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"Didn't we comment on people storming the US Capitol? Didn't we comment on Sri Lanka, Nepal and even Pakistan? Therefore human rights activists will comment. You will have to take it in the right spirit," he said.
"I am disappointed that the Prime Minister has called dissenters agitationists and human rights commentators Foreign Destructive Ideology," Chidambaram said adding Modi used it in a "pejorative" way.
CPI(M) Parliamentary party leader Elamaram Kareem said the Prime Minister was "ridiculing" the democratic protesters by calling them "aandolan jeevi".
"Nothing more can be expected from the leader of a party which never took up burning issues of the nation and conducted any agitations for people's welfare. People's protest is raising against the policies of the government. Modi's reply failed miserably in addressing these," he said.
CPI Parliamentary party leader Binoy Viswam said the Prime Minister has put out a "masterclass on whataboutery".
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On the new coinage on FDI, he reminded that Modi was the person who went to the United States and chanted 'Ab ki baar Trump Sarkar' (Next time, Trump government). "It appears that the definition of FDI is a reflection of his own actions and beliefs," he said.
Senior Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge said there was no substance in Modi's speech and he overlooked Congress' proposal on what lacks in the three farm laws and rejected concerns of farmers, graduates and scientists saying nobody knows anything.