Oppn MPs storm well of House over Adani row as PM Modi begins speech
2 min read . Updated: 09 Feb 2023, 02:49 PM IST
PremiumOpposition leaders stormed the well of the Upper House protesting as PM Modi began his speech
On Thursday, opposition MPs stormed the well of the House as PM Modi replied to Motion of Thanks on President's address, in Rajya Sabha
Opposition MPs raised slogan demanding the formation of Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Adani issue and demanded probe into allegations against Adani Group.
PM Modi took a swipe at protesting opposition members, saying their acts help BJP flourish further. He went on to say, “ I want to tell these MPs (Oppostion MPs)...the more you throw 'keechad', the better the lotus will bloom."
The Prime Minister retorted against the heckling in the parliament saying that Congress created hurdles in development. He said, “ India lost six decades while smaller countries progressed."
Modi accused the Congress of merely adopting "tokenism" in solving the country's problems. In response to the allegations made by the opposition parties, Modi quoted Manik Verma's poem, "Keechad unke pass tha, mere pass gulal. Jo jis ke pass tha, usne diya uchal," roughly translated as "They had dirt, and I had 'gulal', whoever had what, they flung it in the air."
"Jitna keechad uchaloge, kamal utna hee zyada khilega (the more dirt you fling, the bigger the kamal - the election symbol of BJP - will bloom)," Modi exclaimed as opposition MPs shouted slogans connecting him to billionaire tycoon Gautam Adani and demanded a joint parliamentary committee investigation into allegations made by US short-seller Hindenburg Research.
In his reply, Modi highlighted the achievements of his government, including eliminating waiting times for cooking gas, providing bank accounts to everyone, and granting electricity connections. He emphasised that his efforts were aimed at creating a brighter future and not for political gain.
"Some people's behaviour and language are disappointing not just for the House but for the country," Modi said in a subtle reference to the allegations made by the opposition parties.
(With inputs from PTI)
