The soul of the country was crushed on June 25: Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks in the Lok Sabha during the 'Motion of Thanks to the Presidentu00c3u0083u00c2u00a2u00c3u0082u00c2u0080u00c3u0082u00c2u0099s Address', at Parliament. Pic/ PTI

New Delhi: In a veiled attack on late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for imposing emergency in the 1970s, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the soul of the country was crushed just because they wanted to remain in power.'

In his first address to Parliament after being voted to power, Modi also stressed the need to move together to fulfil the dream of a strong, safe, developed and inclusive nation.

"Today is June 25. On the night of June 25, the soul of the country was crushed. In India, democracy does not come into existence from the pages of the Constitution; it has been our soul for decades. That soul was crushed just because they wanted to remain in power," he said while replying to the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address in Lok Sabha.

Earlier, Modi remembered those who resisted the Emergency. "India salutes all those greats who fiercely and fearlessly resisted the Emergency. India's democratic ethos successfully prevailed over an authoritarian mindset," the Prime Minister tweeted with a short video. June 25 marks the day when then prime minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of Emergency in the country for a 21-month period from 1975 to 1977.

Slams Congress

Taking potshots at the Congress, Modi Tuesday said the party never recognised efforts of anyone but members from the Gandhi-Nehru family.

Replying to the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, Modi said the Congress never spoke about the good work of former PMs Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narasimha Rao. "There are some people who feel only a few names contributed to the national progress. They only want to hear those few names and ignore the others. We think differently, we feel each and every citizen has worked for India's progress," Modi said.

"Did they ever speak about the good work of Narismha Rao Ji? In this Lok Sabha debate, the same people did not even speak of Manmohan ji," the PM added.

Turning the tables on Congress after its leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said Modi can't diminish his party's "high" stature, Modi said it became so high that it lost connect with the country's roots and that "the higher you become, the happier I will be."

"So busy were they with delusions of soaring high that they forgot to remain rooted to the ground. So busy were they soaring that they thought anyone on the ground is lowly and dirty. We have no such desire to soar. We are happy grounded, rooted and with our people," he said.

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