Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday hit out at the Opposition in a power-packed speech in Lok Sabha as he made a fiery rebuttal to a debate on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Manipur violence, calling it “politically motivated”. In what were the first remarks from the Centre on the issue, Shah made an appeal to Meitei and Kuki communities for peace and defended the government's efforts to curtail the clashes saying what happened in the northeastern state was "triggered by circumstances".
Shah focused on speaking about the achievements of the Modi government, the welfare work it has done for farmers, youth and women, against the accusations of neglecting the northeastern state. He accused the Congress governments of the past of choosing to stay in power ‘by hook or by crook’, referencing to former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao’s no-trust vote in 1993. He said when the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee faced a no-trust vote in 1999, he chose to step down instead of indulging in corruption to save his government.
A huge commotion ensued as Shah raised ‘Quit India’ slogans. NDA MPs joined him in a rousing chorus, saying “Quit India, dynasty Quit India, appeasement Quit India”.
Here are the top quotes from his speech in Lok Sabha:
On No-Confidence Motion
“The no-confidence motion brought to create confusion among people…(it is) a politically motivated move.”
“Opposition may not have confidence in PM Modi but people of India have full confidence in Modi govt.People have voted Modi govt to power twice, Modi is the most successful PM in India.”
On Manipur Violence
"Whatever happening in Manipur is ethnic violence triggered by circumstances, it should not be turned into a political issue."
"A state CM needs to be changed when he is not cooperating. This CM (N Biren Singh) is cooperating with the Centre."
On UPA Govt
“The character of political parties and alliances is revealed in such times of crises. UPA's character is to indulge in corruption to save the government by hook or by crook, while the BJP-led NDA's character is to stand up to the principles."
“Corruption, dynasty politics and appeasement are the three ills of Indian politics. Pm Modi finished these. Now he practises politics of performance.”
On Kashmir
“We will talk to the youth of Kashmir valley, not Hurriyat, Jamiat and Pakistan.”
On Development
"Modi has ushered in a new era of politics since 2014, that of development which will lead to the creation of India of the dreams of our freedom fighters much before 2047."
