Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his long-awaited appearance in Parliament and taunted the Opposition unrelentingly for more than two hours and predicted that the BJP would break all records in next year’s general elections.

The Opposition replied by chanting “Manipur, Manipur, we want Manipur” and that provoked the BJP into thumping their desks and shouting “Modi, Modi!” In turn, Modi lashed out at the Opposition, saying the no confidence motion would not be, “a floor test for the government, but for the Opposition.”

Turning finally to Manipur after speaking for more than 90 minutes he insisted that Home Minister Amit Shah has demolished all the Opposition’s charges yesterday, saying: “Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed all issues of Manipur without indulging in politics. He attempted to spread awareness, peace:” He added: “I want to tell the mothers and women of Manipur that the country is with you.”

He admitted that crimes against women were committed and that, “they are 'unforgivable'. I want to assure the country that our efforts will ensure that peace prevails. I want to tell Manipur that the country and this Parliament are with you. We will find a resolution and Manipur will see peace and progress.” Throwing in an emotional appeal he declared: “The Northeast is a part of my heart.”

The BJP government had, in the last nine years, he insisted, made a huge effort to develop the Northeast, and that Agartala now had a rail connection, and that goods trains were now running to Manipur. Also, he said, Arunachal Pradesh now had a greenfield airport. Also, he added, the Northeast would now become a hub and “centre-point” of India’s trade with Southeast Asia. By contrast, he accused the Congress of neglecting the region for decades.

Making a now familiar charge, he accused the Opposition of only doing politics on Manipur. The Opposition walked out in protest at his failure to talk about Manipur for over an hour.

Returning to another familiar theme, Modi predicted that India would be a developed nation by 2047. He also threw in an extravagant promise that India’s rise would be a long-lasting one and would last for a thousand years. “The 21st century period brings the opportunity to fulfil India's period. We are in a time period that is very important. Its impact will last for 1,000 years. What the country achieves now with its dedication and efforts will benefit it for 1,000 years. Our biggest priority should be the country's development.”

Modi insisted that his government had boosted India’s image since it came to power and that the Congress couldn’t accept having a poor man as prime minister. He also lashed out at the Opposition, saying the no confidence motion would not be, “a floor test for the government, but for the Opposition.”

The Prime Minister also threw in some extraordinary charges saying that: “People curse me night and day. Their favourite is, ‘Modi teri Kabra khudegi (‘Modi your grave will be dug). I take their words as a tonic and drink it. They have a secret blessing. Whoever they wish bad for ends up benefiting.”

As expected by many observers, Modi turned the tables on his opponents and seized the opportunity to attack the Congress and the Opposition and accused the last government of driving the country towards bankruptcy.

He appeared determined to attack the Congress on every possible ground, listing the states where they have been out of power for decades. He drove home the point, saying they had not ruled in Tamil Nadu since 1962. Twisting the knife, he added: “The people of Tamil Nadu are saying they have no confidence in the Congress.” Moving on, he pointed out that in West Bengal the Congress last won in 1972 and hadn’t won in Uttar Pradesh since 1985.

Going back even further into the past, Modi brought up the fact that an Englishman, A. O. Hume was the founder of the Congress.

Now, he charged, the Congress had no idea about the global economy and that, “the Opposition’s bad wishes will turn out to be a boon.” Throwing in an often-made promise, he said that India would soon be the world’s third-largest economy.

Attacking the Opposition alliance, he accused them of, “passing off an old rusted car as an electric vehicle. They think by changing their name they will rule the country.” He also threw in the charge that in the alliance, “Everyone wants to become Prime Minister.”