‘Public Like Lord Ram, Reduced You to 40 from 400’: PM’s Retort for RaGa’s ‘Hanuman Didn’t Burn Lanka’ Remark – News18

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday had a retort ready for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s statement in Lok Sabha the previous day that ‘Hanuman did not burn Lanka but Ravana’s pride’. Responding to the opposition’s motion of no-confidence, he hit out at the reinstated MP’s comments saying: “The public is like Lord Ram, which is why you (the Congress) have been reduced to 40 from 400. Your ego has brought you from 400 to 40.”

Attacking the opposition in the house, the prime minister said it is true that Lanka was not set ablaze by Hanuman (a reference to the ancient Indian epic Ramayana) but it was Ravana’s pride that burnt his own land.

“It is true that Lanka was not set ablaze by Hanuman, it was set ablaze by his (Ravana) arrogance. People are also like Lord Ram and, that is why, you have been reduced to 40 from 400. People elected a full majority government twice but it is troubling you that how come a poor man is sitting here; this is not letting you sleep and the people of the country will not let you sleep even in 2024,” he said.

He added: “I want to express my sympathy with the opposition as a few days ago you performed the last rites of the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) in Bengaluru. On the one hand, you were performing the last rites par aap jashan bhi mana rahe thay aur jashan bhi kis cheez ki – khandar par naya plaster lagane ka… I want to tell the opposition that you are following those who, even after so many generations, are not able to differentiate between lal mirch and hari mirch…”

Taking a dig at the new opposition front, INDIA, the PM said the “arrogance of the ‘I’ does not leave them (Congress) alone”. “Their trouble is such that they had to take the support of the NDA to keep themselves alive. But, out of habit, the arrogance of ‘I’ doesn’t leave them alone. That is why, they inserted two ‘I’s of arrogance in NDA. First ‘I’ the arrogance of 26 parties and, the second ‘I’, the arrogance of one family. They stole NDA too and also broke India – I.N.D.I.A,” he said.

He added: “…I can understand the troubles of the Congress. For years, they have been launching again and again, a failed product. The launch fails every time. The result is that their hatred for voters has reached its peak. The launch fails and they harbour hatred for voters. But PR people propagate it as ‘mohabbat ki dukaan’. That is why, the people of the country are saying, ‘Yeh hai loot ki dukaan, jhooth ka bazaar’.”

Taking another dig at Rahul Gandhi, who had during his speech said he was “speaking from the heart” about the Manipur ethnic violence, PM Modi said the Congress leader’s mental condition was well known.

“…Kal yahaan dil se baat karne ki baat bhi kahi gayi thi. Unke dimaag ke haal ko toh desh lambe samay se janta hai. Lekin ab unke dil ka pata bhi chal gaya. Their ‘Modi love’ is so strong that they even dream about Modi…” he said.

The PM exuded confidence during his address that the BJP and its allies will break records to score a grand win in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and even took a swipe at the opposition, saying its no-confidence motion will prove auspicious for the ruling alliance as it did in 2018.

He also attacked the opposition parties for not allowing discussions on a number of bills related to the country’s development.

(With PTI inputs)