Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday told BJP MPs that the name of the new Opposition alliance was to “mislead the people” and sought to deride it by seeking to draw parallels with the British East India Company and outlawed outfits like the Indian Mujahideen and the Popular Front of India, stressing that they too had “India” in their names.

Addressing a closed-door parliamentary party meeting, Modi concentrated his firepower on the Opposition axis, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), calling it the most directionless tie-up the country had ever seen. The Prime Minister, however, did not utter a word on the situation in Manipur and the Opposition’s demand for a statement by him in Parliament.

“Modiji said that just having ‘India’ in the name doesn’t guarantee anything. It was to mislead the people. He said that the East India Company, Indian National Congress, Indian Mujahideen and the Popular Front of India also had India in their name,” a BJP parliamentarian said. The MP said the people of the country would not be misled by the gimmick of names. Asked whether the Prime Minister said anything about the Manipur violence or the Opposition’s demand for a statement in Parliament on the situation in the state, the MP said “no”.

Former law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters that Modi said the country had never seen such a “directionless Opposition”. “He said the Opposition was frustrated because their leaders had realised that they would remain in the Opposition even after next year’s general election,” Prasad said.

This was Modi’s first address to BJP MPs during the monsoon session of Parliament, which continues to be stalled by the Opposition alliance over the demand that the Prime Minister make a statement in both Houses over the situation in Manipur.

The government has sought to reject the demand, saying home minister Amit Shah would speak on Manipur and not the Prime Minister. After the first day of the session last week, Modi has not attended Parliament proceedings as the Opposition protest continues.