Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday slammed the opposition parties for walking out from Parliament during the no-confidence motion and said his government has defeated the "negativity being spread" by them across the country.
PM Modi, who virtually addressed the Panchayati Raj Parishad in West Bengal, criticised the ruling TMC for using "terror and threats" to intimidate the opposition in the state during the rural poll last month.
"Only two days back, we had defeated the opposition's no-confidence motion in Parliament. We had also defeated the negativity being spread by them. The opposition parties didn't want voting as it would have exposed the cracks in their alliance. They ran away from the House," he said while addressing the programme.
The no-confidence motion against the Modi government was defeated through a voice vote in the Lok Sabha on Thursday after opposition MPs staged a walkout.
A no-confidence motion is a formal proposal moved by a member against the government in Lok Sabha under Rule 198 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha.
PM Modi also alleged that the opposition parties "didn't want a discussion" on Manipur.
"They were not serious about any discussion, they just wanted to do politics over it," he claimed.
Hitting out at the Congress' decade-old slogan "Garibi hatao" (eliminate poverty), the prime minister said, "In reality, they have done nothing to remove poverty and uplift the living conditions of the poor people of the country." He claimed that the BJP government has "taken steps for the overall development of the poor in the country".
Alleging that the ruling TMC let “loose a reign of terror” in West Bengal during the rural polls, PM Modi said despite such threats, people have blessed BJP candidates.
"In Bengal, violence has been used as a means to threaten the opposition. But despite this, love of the people of Bengal has led to the people's victory. But when our candidates have won, they are not allowed to take out a procession. If some take out a procession, they are attacked. This is TMC's politics," he alleged.
Mamata Banerjee responds to PM Modi’s comments on Bengal panchayat poll violence
“He is speaking whatever he can without any evidence. He wants that the poor people of the country should die, the common people should suffer and that only the BJP should prosper,” Banerjee said in a recorded voice message.
“They can no longer reach the people with their ideology, they have forgotten their ideology,” the Trinamul chief stated.
In her attempt to highlight issues in Modi’s own backyard, Banerjee alleged: “You cannot raise the corruption issue because you are fully surrounded by so many issues like the PM CARES fund, the Rafael agreement and agreements to sell defence factories and so on. Also you went ahead with demonetization and cancellation of 2000 rupee denomination notes because of your own interests and those of your party. You can fool people some of the time, but you cannot fool people all the time.”
“Charity begins at home. First see your own face (in the mirror). You never took action against your own people who are corrupt, people who have committed atrocities on the wrestlers and those who committed crimes against the people of Manipur,” the Bengal chief minister remarked.
“Your own people have killed more than 16-17 people in Bengal and you keep giving political wind to them. You should behave properly first,” she further alleged.
