Modi targets Opposition, refers to G-23 in Congress after Azad's 'praise'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday sought to turn the tables on the Opposition in Rajya Sabha by giving a new definition of FDI, referring to 'professional protesters', invoking the controversy surrounding G-23 in Congress and quoting former Prime Ministers.

In his reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address, which saw the Trinamool Congress walking out as he stood up for his speech, Modi questioned the "U-turn" by Opposition parties on agriculture reforms and said they could take the credit for the good that is happening.

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The Prime Minister specifically picked up Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad for praise, one of the only two from the Opposition benches to get a positive reference, for his comments on conducting successful local body elections in Jammu and Kashmir but did not leave the opportunity to take a dig at Congress leadership.

"I am scared of your praise. I hope your partymen will take it in the right spirit and not as the opinion of the G-23 in the party," Modi said amid laughter from the Treasury benches.

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Azad was among the 23 leaders, referred to as the G-23, who wrote to party chief Sonia Gandhi seeking clarity on the leadership issue and demanding intraparty elections, including for the post of Congress president. This has put him and others against the faction that owes its allegiance to Rahul Gandhi.

He also used the remarks of former Prime Ministers Charan Singh and Manmohan Singh to corner the Opposition and put a stamp on his move to go in for reforms in the agriculture sector.

In what is seen as an attack on the backroom boys of the farmers protest, he said a new breed of 'aandolan jeevi' (professional protesters) who are seen at labour protests, student protests and lawyers' protest among others. "You need to keep away from them," he said while also referring to "Foreign Destructive Ideology", a new form of FDI which one should keep away.

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On the criticism of the programmes like lighting lamps during lockdown, he said, "how can you laugh at the modest efforts by poor people, the elderly who lit diya as part of the government call to fight Covid-19?"

He also tried to make light of criticism against his government and said, "a lot of attacks were directed at me. But I am glad I was of some use to you. In this Covid-19 season, you must be stuck at home and I am sure there must be trouble at home. At least this way you could take your anger out."