Gandhi family disrupting Parliament to avenge poll defeat, says Modi

Moran (Assam): Singling out the Sonia Gandhi family, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday accused the Congress President and her son Rahul Gandhi of disrupting Parliament to avenge defeat in 2014 Lok Sabha polls and hence blocking the passage of bills aimed at benefiting the poor.

Addressing tea garden workers in this poll-bound state of Assam, Modi alleged that "one family" was indulging in "negative politics" as he claimed that there are leaders in opposition parties other than Congress who want Parliament to function even though they oppose him.

"Those who have lost the election (in 2014) and have come down from 400 to 40 have decided not to allow Modi to work. They have decided to create obstacles and difficulties. The conspiracy for the same is going on," he said, referring clearly to Congress.

"They have now decided to take revenge from people, from the poor workers" for voting the Congress out of power,” Modi said at the public meeting that was virtually an election rally.

His remarks came against the backdrop of washout of the last two sessions of Parliament because of which key economic reform measures, including GST, have been pending and are expected to be pushed by the government during the upcoming Budget session starting on February 23.

"There are many leaders and parties even in the Opposition who oppose Modi, the BJP and the government but they want Parliament to run and carry out is business. But one family is so rigid that they do not allow the Rajya Sabha to function and let the nation's agenda of development to be taken forward because people of the country have defeated them," Modi said.

Though the Prime Minister did not name the "family", the reference was obviously to the Sonia Gandhi family. He listed a number of pending bills, including one for increasing the income ceiling for bonus to workers and the other related to river transport on Brahmaputra, and put the blame for their pendency squarely on Congress and particularly the Gandhi family.

"The country is not going to benefit from this politics of negativism and obstructionism. There is only one family with such a thinking, which has brought this kind of destruction. Leaders in the other Opposition parties are not like this," the Prime Minister said.

"If anybody in politics engages in such negativism and obstructionism, it is not going benefit either them or the nation," he added.

Modi used the occasion to flag the issue of "Assamese pride" and urged people to give a chance to BJP to form a government in the state.

He contended that laws for the welfare of the state can be put in place only when there is a government in Guwahati which listens to Centre.

Stating that the lack of connectivity in north-east states create hurdles for its progress despite having great potential, Modi said, infrastructure development in eastern states is government's prime objective and the record railway budget for north-east was sanctioned.