PM Modi recalls vision of Nehru, Shastri, Vajpayee; reminds House of cash-for-vote scam in Manmohan era

Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and following leaders like Lal Bahadur Shastri, P V Narasimha Rao, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Monday, but also reminded the Lok Sabha of the ‘cash-for-vote’ fraud under the Manmohan Singh regime.

When he opened the Lok Sabha debate on “Parliamentary Journey of 75 years starting from Samvidhan Sabha — Achievements, Experiences, Memories and Learnings,” Modi noted that while there were widespread celebrations when the three new states of Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and Chhatisgarh were established under Vajpayee’s leadership, the creation of Telangana from Andhra Pradesh resulted only in resentment and bloodshed in both states.

Pandit Nehru spoke at the ‘stroke of midnight hour’ in this Parliament, and his words continue to inspire everyone, he remarked.

#WATCH | Special Session of the Parliament | Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, “…The echoes of Pandit Nehru’s “At the stroke of the midnight…” in this House will keep inspiring us. In this House itself, Atal ji had said, “Sarkarein aayegi-jaayegi, partiyan banegi-bigdegi,… pic.twitter.com/MdYI4p6MfC

— ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2023

The greatest success of these 75 years has been that the ordinary person's faith in Parliament has grown, Modi said, wishing that when Parliament moves to its new edifice on Tuesday, it will be the dawn of fresh hope and confidence.

Modi said that it is also an opportunity to thank everyone who has led this House and expressed their vision for India, from Pandit Nehru to Vajpayee.

He also recalled Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Chandrashekhar, and Lal Krishna Advani for enriching the House.

The prime minister also praised B R Ambedkar's work, adding that his vision for industrialization, which was aimed at delivering social justice to the country during the first administration of independent India, is still at the core of every industrial strategy today.

At the same time, he said, there have been sad and emotional times in Parliament when three serving prime leaders -- Nehru, Shastri, and Indira Gandhi -- died and were lavishly honoured.

"This House also supported the liberation of Bangladesh under the leadership of Indira Gandhi," he said.

The Prime Minister also referred to the success of the G20 Summit held in the national capital earlier this month.

"Today, the achievements of all Indians are being discussed everywhere. This is the result of our united efforts during the 75 years of the history of our Parliament. The success of Chandrayaan-3 has not only made India but the world proud. This has highlighted a new form of India's strength which is connected to technology, science, potential of our scientists and the strength of the 140 crore people in the country. Today, I again want to congratulate our scientists," he said.

#WATCH | Special Session of the Parliament | Prime Minister Narendra Modi says "...Today, the achievements of all Indians are being discussed everywhere. This is the result of our united efforts during the 75 years of the history of our Parliament. The success of Chandrayaan-3… pic.twitter.com/rGzgUAhBCX

— ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2023

At the same time, this House experienced an attack on democracy during the Emergency, and the people reasserted their authority via this House as we watched the restoration of democracy, Modi remarked.

#WATCH | Special Session of Parliament | In Lok Sabha, PM Modi says, "There was a terror attack (on the Parliament). This was not an attack on a building. In a way, it was an attack on the mother of democracy, on our living soul. The country can never forget that incident. I also… pic.twitter.com/QL4RN09BM9

— ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2023