‘Read up on foreign affairs’: Modi schools Rahul, takes ‘sheeshmahal’ dig at AAP

Prime Minister Narendra on Tuesday (February 4) minced no words while hitting back at the Opposition Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi as well as the AAP, BJP’s bete noire in the Delhi Assembly polls, in his address to the Lok Sabha.

In a speech that lasted for over an hour, the prime minister, while replying to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s joint address to the Parliament, defended her speech, which was dubbed “boring” by Rahul the day before.

‘Photo sessions’ jibe

Taking a swipe at Rahul, Modi said, “those who have photo sessions in the huts of the poor for their own entertainment will find the mention of the poor in Parliament boring."

Countering the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha on his jab that the Centre had failed in its ‘Make in India’ attempt, Modi doubled down by saying that it was his government that pulled people out of poverty which the Congress kept promising them for five decades.

Also read: Parliament LIVE | We must fulfil Viksit Bharat dream together: Modi

“We didn’t peddle false promises to the poor, we gave them genuine assurances. This needs strong resolution, but some people don’t have it. Not everyone can understand how difficult it is to live life under a plastic roof in the rainy season. Till now poor have got 4 crore houses. Those who haven’t lived their life, know the value of a concrete roof,” he said.

Schooling Rahul on foreign policy

The prime minister also targeted Rahul over his allegations about the Centre sending the foreign minister to the US to secure an invite for US President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

“While discussing the President's address, foreign policy was also discussed here. A few people think that they don’t appear mature if they don’t speak on foreign policy. They think that they should definitely speak on foreign policy, even if it causes harm to the country,” Modi said.

Without naming Rahul, he advised him to read up before speaking on such issued and even recommended him a book.

Also watch: 'Sheesh mahal, jacuzzi': Modi slams Kejriwal, Rahul; what's beyond the rhetoric?

Book recommendation

“I would like to tell such people, if they have a real interest in the subject of foreign policy, if they want to understand it and want to do something while going ahead, they should definitely read a book, JFK's Forgotten Crisis...This book has been written by a famous foreign policy scholar...”

“This book mentions the first PM who also looked after foreign policy. This book speaks in details about the discussions and decisions between Pandit Nehru and the then US President, John F Kennedy. When the country was facing several challenges, what was being done in the name of foreign policy at that time has been brought out through this book…," Modi said.

‘Urban Naxal’ taunt

Attacking Rahul further, Modi said some people openly speak the language of “urban Naxals” and asserted that those who “declare a war” against the Indian State can neither understand the Constitution nor about the country’s unity.

“Those who walk around with the Constitution in their pockets do they know how they forced Muslim women to live in hardship. We brought in the triple talaq law to give right to them,” Modi said.

“We did not give false slogans, but real development to people,” Modi said. “For five decades, slogans of ‘garibi hatao’ were heard and only now 25 crore poor have come out of poverty,” he said.

He said till now poor people have got 4 crore houses. “Only the one who has lived that kind of life knows what it means to have a house with a proper roof,” Modi said. “The pain of the poor, the troubles of the common man cannot be understood just like that; it requires passion, and some just don’t have it,” he said in a swipe at the Opposition.

Also read: BJP MP seeks breach of privilege motion against Rahul for ‘distorting facts’

Rahul’s speech

In what is being called his most articulate speech so far, Rahul on Monday had called President Droupadi Murmu’s joint address to Parliament the “same laundry list of things” that the BJP-led Centre has done.

In the course of his speech, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha slammed the Modi government on a slew of issues – from unemployment to Chinese incursion into Indian territory to the Prime Minister’s “failed” bid at making in India while speaking on the Motion of Thanks on the President's address.

Claiming that the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Narendra Modi government has failed, Rahul also conceded that both the NDA and the UPA governments have failed to tackle unemployment and give a clear-cut answer to the youth on employment.

‘Sheeshmahal’ dig at Kejriwal

The prime minister, who spoke at length about his government’s milestones, vision of Viksit Bharat, and key announcements made in the Budget for 2025-26, interspersed his speech with diatribes for the Opposition.

Speaking about his government’s focus on providing tap water connection to households, Modi in a dig at the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party said his government is committed to people while some politicians just want to fix Jacuzzis and stylist showers in their houses.

“Some politicians’ focus is on Jacuzzis and stylist showers, but our focus is to provide water to every household,” he said.

Also read: Budget Session | How Rahul Gandhi has rattled BJP with his new-found narrative

Elaborating how the government saved money and bolstered revenue through several initiatives like ethanol blending and by selling scrap, he said the savings were not spent in building “sheeshmahals” and were rather spent on building the country.

The “sheeshmahal” reference is used by the BJP to take pot shots at AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal whom it has accused of spending an obscene amount of money to revamp his official bungalow when he was the Delhi chief minister.

Jibe at Rajiv Gandhi

In a dig at former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, Modi said a PM who used to chant “21st century” was so far from reality that he was unable to provide for the needs of the 20th century.

Modi also hailed his government’s decisions in the Budget. In 2002, there was no tax on incomes of up to Rs 2 lakh and now there is no income tax on earnings up to Rs 12 lakh, he pointed out.

Modi said his government started the Ayushman Bharat for poor, but some states have stalled the scheme, leaving poor people in the lurch.