New Delhi: Making a scathing attack on the main Opposition Congress and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the previous Congress-led government of selectively invoking the Constitution while claiming ownership over democratic values.
“Nowadays, some people pull out the Constitution as if it is tucked away in their pockets and democracy is their personal property,” PM Modi said, alleging that such leaders remain “intoxicated by power”.
Recalling his tenure as the Gujarat Chief Minister, the Prime Minister claimed that a government-affiliated institution named after a former Prime Minister had once ranked Gujarat as the country’s best-performing state.
However, he alleged that the then Central government intervened and directed the organisation to seek prior approval before publishing such reports.
“The government told them, ‘This will not do. You must obtain our approval before publishing any such report,” PM Modi said.
Questioning the Opposition’s commitment to democratic principles, the Prime Minister said, “These are the very people who now lecture us on democracy.”
He also criticised what he described as the lingering mindset of some Opposition leaders, saying their attachment to power remained evident even after leaving office.
“Even when they (Opposition leaders) are not in power, they behave this way. It is a strange kind of intoxication with power,” the Prime Minister said.
Shifting focus to agriculture, PM Modi said that reducing the financial burden on farmers continues to be a key priority for the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government.
He highlighted the Centre’s substantial spending on fertiliser subsidies, saying that nearly Rs 16 lakh crore has been allocated to ensure affordable fertilisers for cultivators.
He noted that while a bag of urea costs around Rs 3,000 in international markets, it is made available to Indian farmers for less than Rs 300.
Highlighting progress in the farm and allied sectors, PM Modi said India has emerged as the world’s largest milk producer as a result of the White Revolution.
He added that over the past decade, milk production has increased by 70 per cent, egg production by 90 per cent and honey production from around 80,000 tonnes to 1.5 lakh tonnes.
The Prime Minister also said that India is now the second-largest producer of wheat, cotton, vegetables and fish globally.
These achievements, he added, underscore the contribution, resilience and productivity of Indian farmers.
Emphasising the importance of allied agricultural activities, PM Modi said that horticulture production has also registered significant growth, rising from about 280 million tonnes to more than 350 million tonnes, alongside the sharp increase in honey output.
He added that these gains reflect the growing strength and diversification of India’s agricultural economy.
He noted that agricultural scientists are developing equipment that reduces the cost of cultivation and makes tasks such as sowing and harvesting easier.
The Union government’s larger objective, PM Modi said, is to transform ‘annadatas’ (food providers) into ‘krishi udyamis’ (agricultural entrepreneurs).
Work is already underway to promote value addition at the source of production so that farmers can earn more from their produce, the Prime Minister added.
