New Delhi: On the eve of his government presenting its first Budget in the third term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined the agenda for the session, delivering a strong appeal to the Opposition and emphasizing the need for constructive dialogue.
Addressing the media on the first day of the Budget session, PM Modi remarked that many MPs have been deprived of the opportunity to raise their constituency’s issues due to what he termed “negative politics” by some parties, which he claimed had wasted Parliament’s time. He called on MPs from all parties to set aside political differences and engage in productive discussions.
In a pointed reference to the Opposition’s protests in Parliament during the session immediately following poll results, the Prime Minister accused the Opposition of attempting to “unconstitutionally silence” a government chosen by the people. “There cannot be a place in democratic traditions for attempts to gag the Prime Minister for two-and-a-half hours, and there is no remorse,” he said.
These comments referred to the slogans chanted by Opposition MPs when the Prime Minister addressed the House during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address.
PM Modi highlighted that the nation is closely watching and hoping that this session would be constructive, creative, and foundational for realizing the country’s aspirations. “This is an important milestone in the glorious journey of Indian democracy. We are proud that 60 years later, a government has returned to power for the third time and is going to present its first budget of its third term,” he said.
Discussing the upcoming Union Budget, the Prime Minister emphasized that the government is committed to implementing its promises. “This budget is an important budget of Amrit Kaal. It will outline our plan for five years and lay the foundation for our Viksit Bharat 2047 vision,” he stated. He added that it is a matter of pride that India is the fastest-growing among large economies. “Over the past three years, the country has grown at a rate of 8 percent. The country now has a positive outlook, investment, and performance. In a way, it is at the peak of opportunities and this is an important milestone in India’s development journey,” he said.
In his appeal to MPs from all parties, he urged them to set aside differences and contribute to the functioning of Parliament. “Starting from January, we fought with all our might. We told people what we had to say. Some tried to show the way, some tried to mislead. But that phase is over. The country has given its mandate. It is now the duty of all MPs to stop fighting for their parties and fight for the country for the next five years,” he said, encouraging MPs to rise above party differences and work for the empowerment of the poor, farmers, and women.
“I am saying this with a heavy heart. After 2014, some MPs came for five years, some for 10 years, but many of them did not get an opportunity to raise issues of their constituencies or enrich the Parliament with their opinions because negative politics by some parties wasted Parliament’s time,” he said.
“Differences in opinion are not a problem, negativity is. The country does not need negativity; it needs a progressive ideology. I hope we will use this temple for democracy in a constructive manner to fulfill the dreams of the people,” he concluded.
