Threats do not work in a democracy: Modi

March 03, 2015 04:41 pm | Updated November 17, 2021 02:03 am IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha on the motion of thanks to the President's address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took on the opposition saying that in a democracy threats do not work. This nation did not bend during the Emergency also, he said.

Taking a dig at the Congress, he said: “When the Congress was unwilling to credit others for India’s freedom, how can they credit others for India’s development.” He went on to list NDA-I programmes that the UPA “repackaged” to counter the Congress charge that the Centre was repackaging previous government’s schemes. However, he added: “We do not feel that just because we are in the treasury benches we know it all. Everyone has to work together.”

Hitting out at critics of the BJP, he said it was a pan-India party “from Leh to Kanyakumari, Kutch to Arunachal, from Christian-majority Goa to Sikh-strong Punjab.”

Dismissing criticism that the government was for corporates, he said: “When we build toilets in schools, is this for corporates? Are soil health cards for corporates? Are Swachch Bharat Abhiyan and Jan Dhan Yojana for corporates?”

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