Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the new government will always strive to take everyone along and build consensus to serve the country. Addressing the media ahead of the beginning of the18th Lok Sabha session, Modi noted that it will be the first time when MPs will take oath in the new Parliament building.
During his address, PM Modi also remarked that tomorrow, June 25 will mark 50 years of the "blot" that was put on the democracy of India, referring to the Emergency period.
"18th Lok Sabha beginning today with resolve of building a 'shreshtha Bharat', Viksit Bharat," Modi said, adding "We will always strive to take everyone along, build consensus to serve country, fulfil people's aspirations."
Noting that tomorrow, June 25 will mark 50 years of Emergency, Modi said: ""Tomorrow is 25th June. 25th June marks 50 years of the blot that was put on the democracy of India. The new generation of India will never forget that the Constitution of India was completely rejected, every part of the Constitution was torn to pieces, the country was turned into a prison, democracy was completely suppressed."
"While protecting our Constitution, while protecting the democracy of India, the democratic traditions, the countrymen will take a resolution that no one will dare to do such a thing in India again which was done 50 years ago. We will take a resolution of a vibrant democracy. We will take a resolution to fulfil the dreams of the common people as per the directions of the Constitution of India," he added.
He also relayed a message to the opposition saying people of the country expect good steps from the opposition.
"The people of the country expect good steps from the opposition. I hope that the opposition will live up to the expectations of the common citizens of the country to maintain the dignity of democracy," Modi said.
'People do not want drama, disturbance. People want substance, not slogans. The country needs a good opposition, a responsible opposition and I have full faith that the MPs who have won in this 18th Lok Sabha will try to fulfill these expectations of the common man...," he added.
Congress Hits Back
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh hit back at Prime Minister saying that the INDIA bloc would respond to Modi's "substance, not slogans" remark with "consensus, not confrontation."
"The non-biological PM is telling the Opposition: substance, not slogans. INDIA is telling him: consensus, not confrontation," he said in a post on X. "The non-biological PM is telling the Opposition: discussion, not disruption. INDIA is telling him: attendance, not absence," he added.