Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said on Monday that the hands of the clocks of some people were stuck in 2014, while criticising the Congress. On Tuesday, Modi once again displayed his penchant for going much further back — to the 1975 Emergency and to Jawaharlal Nehru.

If it was accusing the Congress of being the “leader of the tukde-tukde gang” during his speech in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Modi on Tuesday deployed another Right-wing concoction — “urban Naxals” — to take on the Opposition party.

Participating in the debate on the motion of thanks in the Rajya Sabha to the President’s address, Modi referred to the Emergency and the purported promulgation of President’s rule in states by the Congress “about 100 times” to contest the Opposition’s questioning of his government’s commitment to democratic values.

The Congress staged a walkout in the middle of the speech, accusing Modi of digressing from the subject at hand.

“The issue of federalism has been raised here. Now those who are giving examples of federalism have dismissed state governments over small issues,” the Prime Minister said.

Without naming Rajiv Gandhi, Modi recalled the sacking of then Andhra Pradesh chief minister T. Anjaiah.

“The Congress high command works on three principles of discredit, destabilise and dismiss,” Modi said. “About 100 times, President’s rule has been imposed in states,” he added.

Describing dynastic parties as the biggest threat to India’s democracy, Modi said Nehru, “concerned about his global image”, refused to send the Indian Army to help the Ram Manohar Lohia-led “satyagrahis” working for Goa’s independence against Portuguese rule. The Congress, he added, delayed Goa’s independence by 15 years.

In 1961, the Indian Army invaded and annexed Goa after a 36-hour battle. The strength of the country should not be undermined, Modi said.

The corona period was a true example of the working of the federal system, the Prime Minister added, challenging Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders’ allegation of attacks on the federal structure by the Modi government.

“Twenty-three meetings have been held with chief ministers on handling corona. With suggestion and cooperation, strategy was made. We consider this as a strength of the nation,” Modi said.

“Some people think Hindustan was created in 1947. This is a mistake. This democracy is not because of your mercy. You trampled democracy in 1975. The Congress does not think beyond dynasty. The biggest threat to Indian democracy is dynastic politics. When a family becomes central to a party, talent becomes the casualty,” he said.

“Mahatma Gandhi wanted the dismantling of the Congress because he knew what’s going to happen. Had the Congress not been there as Mahatma Gandhi had wished,

what would have happened: Democracy would have been free of dynasty, India would have been spared the blot of the Emergency, corruption would not have been institutionalised, the abyss of casteism and regionalism would not have been so deep,” Modi said.

“If Congress was not there, Sikhs would not have been massacred, Punjab would not have burnt in the fire of terrorism, Kashmiri Hindus would not have had to leave their state, daughters would not have been torched in tandoors and the common man would not have had to wait for years to get basic amenities like water, power, toilets and roads,” he added.

Without naming Rahul, who had reminded the Modi government in a searing speech last week that India was a Union of States, the Prime Minister said some people had a problem with the word “nation”. He said that by this logic, the Indian National Congress should change its name to the Indian Federation Congress.

“The Congress has of late entered into the trap of urban Naxals,” Modi said.

The leader of the Opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge, told reporters later that instead of focusing on the President’s address, Modi only criticised the Congress.

“The President’s speech is about the present times. He (Modi) should have spoken about current achievements, future actions and the points raised by the Opposition parties. Instead, he referred only to the Congress and family-centric politics and so on,” Kharge said.

“We said you first reply to the questions raised by us. Instead of responding, he only targeted the Congress. Those who killed Gandhiji and worship (Nathuram) Godse are telling us that Gandhiji had advised that the party be dissolved. I want to tell him (Modi) that these are the people who killed Gandhiji and these are the people who want to finish any alternative idea,” Kharge added.