Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday predicted that the Opposition’s numbers in Parliament will shrink further after the 2024 general election, slamming the INDIA bloc for their protest inside Parliament and accusing them of obliquely backing those responsible for storming the Lok Sabha.

Addressing a closed-door parliamentary party meeting in the backdrop of the mass suspension of Opposition MPs, Modi told BJP MPs not to get shaken by the protests inside both Houses of Parliament and claimed their opponents were venting the frustration of their defeat in the recent state polls.

“The Opposition is trying to give a political spin instead of condemning in one voice whatever happened in Parliament in frustration over their defeat in the Assembly polls,” Modi told the MPs. “The Opposition’s conduct will ensure that their numbers shrink further in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. They will not return to the Lok Sabha even in their current strength,” he added, according to MPs present at the meeting.

Modi refrained from dwelling on the serious security breach in the new Parliament building inaugurated by him or the role of party MP Prathap Simmha in getting visitors’ gallery passes for the two youths who stormed the Lok Sabha chamber, and only used it to heap blame on the Opposition. The BJP so far has not taken any action against Simmha on whose signature the two youths gained entry into the new Parliament building.

Instead, Modi went on to accuse the Opposition of giving indirect support to the act of the two youths who stormed the Lok Sabha and defending it. “The Opposition is extending muted and indirect support. They are saying what else could they (the two youths) have done. This is very worrisome,” Modi was learnt to have told the BJP lawmakers.

“The Opposition has made up its mind to be in the Opposition. The nation has made up its mind to keep them in the Opposition and perhaps will push them even more behind from where they currently stand. We should expose them,” Modi said.

Projecting the BJP as a national builder, he said that while the INDIA bloc was uniting in their intent to remove the BJP from power, “we are patriots working for the betterment of India”. “They are utilising their strength to remove the government while we are utilising our strength for the betterment of India,” parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi said, quoting Modi.

Party MPs present at the meet said Modi appeared to be riding on the runaway victory in the three heartland states early this month and it was reflected in his address. “Modi ji exuded remarkable confidence as he spoke. He seemed to underline that he faces no challenge from the Opposition in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls,” a BJP MP said.

BJP MPs said that Modi and the top leadership appeared to be confident that the mass suspension of MPs, virtually turning Parliament “Opposition-mukt”, would not generate people’s sympathy for the Opposition.

“Today, as I expressed concern over the mass suspension of rival MPs, one senior leader told me not to worry. The leader told me that the people don’t like such behaviour (of stalling Parliament proceedings) of the Opposition and see it as an effort to pull down Modi and obstruct the good work done by him,” a BJP MP said.

The BJP has been desperately trying to link the youths who stormed the Lok Sabha and also those who protested outside with the Congress and their allies, trying to send out the message that they had been sent to defame the Modi government.