PM Modi speech HIGHLIGHTS: Congress only wishes for 'Modi ki qabr' but I have people's blessings, says PM

PM Modi says, "...They are moving with the mantra of 'Modi teri khabr khudegi'. They dream of this and speak of democracy. They put up signboards of 'Mohabbat ki dukan'. Is such hatred harboured in public life? Their govt used to operate with a remote. My govt operated with a remote too. 140 crore people are my remote...

PM Modi said his government's thinking is that 140 crore countrymen are so capable that they can provide solutions to challenges, because we have trust in our countrymen.

"But Congress considers the countrymen themselves to be the problem. Yet I have said before the country and the world – no matter how many challenges there may be, we have 140 crore solutions with us," he added.

"Congress can only imagine, they have nothing to do with implementation. The Bogibeel Bridge in Assam, which links Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, is a vital infrastructure development that had been delayed for decades," PM Modi said.

"Under the Pragati initiative, we reviewed its progress and successfully completed the project, bringing significant benefits to the entire Northeast region of India," he added.

Rahul Gandhi called BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu a "traitor" because he is a Sikh, reflecting the Congress' "anti-Sikh" midset, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in the Rajya Sabha in a scathing attack on the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

Before 2014, there was a prevalent phone banking culture in which politicians would make calls to influence the disbursement of loans, PM Modi said.

"As a result, loans were often granted based on these calls rather than proper assessment. The poor were frequently denied access to credit, and nearly 50% of the population did not even have bank accounts. On the recommendation of Congress politicians, millions were lent to individuals who never repaid the money. During the UPA era, this led the banking system to teeter on the brink of collapse," he added.

I heard the discussion, I felt that the level of discussion should have been a little higher, especially from that side (Opposition side). They have been part of the government for years. The level of discussion from that side should have been a little higher. But they lost even this opportunity," PM Modi said.

"India is signing future-ready trade deals with several countries. In the past few days, we signed trade deals with 9 big and important countries of the world. Mother of all deals with 27 countries, with European Union is one of them," PM Modi said.

The biggest thing is that even the world's richest of the rich countries are aging. Their populations have reached that stage of age, which we know as the elderly, said PM Modi in Rajya Sabha.

"Our country is one that is touching new heights of development, and at the same time, day by day, our country is becoming younger. It is a country with a young population," he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in the Rajya Sabha that India has moved rapidly from being labelled among the “fragile five” to progressing towards becoming the world’s third largest economy. He added that the country is witnessing high growth alongside low inflation, reflecting the underlying strength and resilience of the Indian economy.

During his address, PM Modi said India does not have to either look back or stop, but only move forward to achieve goal of Viksit Bharat. "The second quarter of the 21st century is also going to be powerful for making India a developed nation," PM Modi said in the Rajya Sabha.

As Opposition MPs created a ruckus in the Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Considering Kharge ji’s age, I request the Chairman to allow him to sit and raise slogans so that he does not face any discomfort. There are younger members seated at the back, so please permit Kharge ji to sloganeer while remaining seated.”

After a brief round of sloganeering, Opposition members stages walkout from the Rajya Sabha as Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued his speech on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address.

PM Modi says, "In the journey of Viksit Bharat, previous years have been the years of rapid development of the country. This has been the era of change in every walk of life, in evey section of society. The country is going ahead in the right direction at a fast pace."

Opposition members in the Rajya Sabha created uproar in the House, raising "tanashahi nahi chalegi" (dictatorship will not run) slogans against the Prime Minister's addressd as he begun his speech. The uproar comes after Rahul Gandhi was stopped from reading excerpts from former Army chief MM Naravane's unpublished memoir in the Lok Sabha a few days ago. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his Rajya Sabha address while Opposition members continued to raise slogans against him and the Centre, creating disruptions in his speech.

On the issue involving Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said, “When he has no respect for khadi, swadeshi and the Congress Party, how can he respect Parliament? There can be nothing more unfortunate than this for the Congress.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in the Rajya Sabha and will address in a few minutes. All eyes are on the address as PM Modi attends the Parliament amid fierce uproar from the Opposition.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, “The Prime Minister is hiding behind the Speaker. Yesterday, he did not have the courage to come into the House because 3 women were standing in front of the Chair. There is no discussion because the government does not want a discussion.”

On Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla's statement, BJP MP Ravishankar Prasad says, "The speaker has expressed his anguish... In the history of the Indian Parliament, it has never happened before that the Prime Minister was forcibly prevented from speaking, surrounded, and the Speaker had to tell him not to come."

"What happened in the Speaker's chamber, what the opposition and the Congress members did, and what they want to achieve? Parliament is a place for debate; express your views within the limits of the law. What kind of coercion is this? This is the Congress party under Rahul Gandhi's leadership," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address in the Rajya Sabha today, Thursday. After heated disruptions and the suspension of MPs in the Lok Sabha, all eyes are now on the Prime Minister’s speech in the Upper House.

The address comes at a time when the Lok Sabha Speaker has stated in Parliament that several Congress MPs were allegedly attempting to carry out an unexpected incident involving Prime Minister Modi in the House on Wednesday.