PM tears into Opp for 'compulsive criticism'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said criticism is part of democracy, and gives it strength, but what the country witnessed during the last nine years was compulsive criticism by people who were not able to accept that the world appreciates India's potential and looks towards it with hope and expectation.

The Prime Minister was replying to a two-day discussion on the motion of thanks to President Droupadi Murmu's address to Parliament in the Lok Sabha. The motion was adopted unanimously after rejection of all amendments.

The Prime Minister told the Lok Sabha that he had always looked forward to constructive criticism and an evaluation of his Government, as he valued criticism as a purification ritual. What came was just allegations by compulsive critics, he said.

He said his critics lost polls and blamed electronic voting machines; if there was a bad court verdict, they blamed the Supreme Court. In cases where corruption was being investigated, there was abuse of investigating agencies and they were mentioned in the House; if Armed Forces peformed, they would be criticised too, and the critics couldn't accept economic achievements too.

The Prime Minister said that such criticism will not pass muster with the people who are experiencing basic facilities for the first time now. He said instead of a dynasty, he is a member of the family of 140 crore Indians. "The blessings of 140 crore Indians is my 'Suraksha Kavach"," the Prime Minister remarked.