In a sardonic comment aimed at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi remarked on Wednesday that the grand old party has created a “start-up” for their ‘Yuvraj’ (prince), but he has turned out to be a “non-starter.” During the debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s address in the Rajya Sabha, Modi quipped that Rahul Gandhi neither lifts nor launches, portraying him as ineffective.
Earlier in the week, PM Modi criticized the Congress, stating that the necessity to repeatedly relaunch the “product” (Rahul Gandhi) has led to the closure of the grand old party’s shop. He expressed disappointment that the Congress missed an opportunity to become a robust opposition and alleged that young leaders were not promoted to prevent them from overshadowing Rahul Gandhi.
Modi emphasized the need for the Congress to break free from ‘parivarwad’ (dynasty politics) and suggested that the party is trapped within a family. He noted the shift of leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge and Ghulam Nabi Azad, attributing their situations to ‘parivarwad.’ “In Congress, there are many talented people but the party did not let them stand. I always wished that the country needed a good Opposition. We can see the situation of Adhir Babu. The situation is that (Mallikarjun) Kharge has shifted from this House to that House (Rajya Sabha), and Ghulam Nabi Azad has shifted out of the party. They all became the victims of ‘parivarwad’.”
“Ek hi product baar-baar launch karne ke chakkar mein, Congress ki dukaan mein tala lagne ki naubat aa gayi hai,” he said.
He alleged that Congress is trapped within a family and said there is a need to come out of ‘parivarwad’, while explaining how children of a family being in politics is different from a family controlling the party.
The Prime Minister urged the Congress to recognize the aspirations and achievements of millions of families in the country, emphasizing the importance of moving beyond family-centric politics. Referring to the presence of Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah in the House, he highlighted that they don’t have their own parties.
The Budget Session, which commenced on January 31, is scheduled to conclude on February 9.