'Double maths period, boring': Cong on Modi's Parl speech

The Congress on Saturday termed as "hollow" Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 11 resolutions articulated in his speech in the Lok Sabha and said if the Bharatiya Janata Party has zero tolerance on corruption then why doesn't it discuss the Adani issue.

The opposition party also questioned why Prime Minister Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were not present in the House when Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi spoke while participating in a two-day debate on the "Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India".

Prime Minister Modi on Saturday said that the Congress, having "tasted blood", repeatedly wounded the Constitution while his government's policies and decisions since it took office in 2014 have been aimed at boosting India's strength and unity in line with the vision of the Constitution.

Asked about the PM's remarks, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra likened his over 110-minutes speech in the Lok Sabha to a "double period of mathematics" from school and said it "bored us".

She slammed Prime Minister Modi's 11 resolutions as "hollow" and said if there is zero tolerance towards corruption then why doesn't the BJP agree to a discussion on the Adani issue.

"PM has not spoken one thing which is new, he has bored us. It took me decades back, I felt like I m sitting in that double period of Mathematics," she said.

"(JP) Nadda ji was also rubbing hands but as soon as Modi ji looked at him, he started acting as if he is listening attentively. Amit Shah also had his hand on head, (Piyush) Goyal ji was going off to sleep. It was a new experience for me. I had thought that the PM will say something new, something nice," she said.

Congress general secretary in-charge organisation K C Venugopal said, "On a debate about India's Constitution, the PM once again decided to bring out his tired old speech about the Congress instead. While the people were expecting an answer from him on the injustice and inequality facing Indian society, he chose to bring up stale narratives against the Congress, which have lost all resonance among the public."

"Truth is, he has no answer to the allegations regarding the Adani mega scandal, nor does he have a response to the growing instances of caste and religious divisions created by his own regime," Venugopal said.

"An insincere PM whose political gurus rejected the Constitution since day one will never be accepted by the people as being loyal to the Constitution. No matter how many speeches he gives, his hypocrisy will be exposed," he said in a post on X.

Venugopal told reporters there was nothing new in that.

"It was only blame game against the Congress. In yesterday and today we exposed government's deeds on Adani. They are using entire machinery to give everything to one person. Whenever we talk of the Constitution they did not respect Parliament. When LoP spoke, the prime minister, home minister and defence minister was absent, either they are scared of Rahul Gandhi or they don't believe in opposition politics," Venugopal said.

Congress' deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi said Prime Minister Modi should thank Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for proposing the idea of a special discussion on the Indian Constitution.

"It was only for the foresightedness of the Congress party that there was a vibrant discussion. We disagree on many issues with the BJP but the people of this country need to see the Parliament debating issues of national concern," he said.

Congress whip Manickam Tagore said the Leader of Opposition was present when the Prime Minister addressed the House, but Modi was absent when Gandhi spoke.

"Why this behaviour, Mr Prime Minister?" he said.