‘An Exciting Trip to 21st Century’: PM Modi targets Rajiv Gandhi’s vision with iconic ‘Hawa Hawai’ cartoon

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed the Lok Sabha replying to the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address. In a no-holds barred attack, PM Modi took a swipe at the Opposition, specifically targeting the Congress party’s past record.

He referred to a well-known iconic cartoon from the 1980s, PM Modi spoke about the time when the Congress regime, under former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, often underlined the need for India to be prepared for the 21st century.

Although PM Modi did not directly mention Rajiv Gandhi by name, his comments were seen as a pointed reference to the period when the former Prime Minister was heard talking about 21st century.

PM Modi recalled: “There was one Prime Minister who constantly spoke about the 21st century… at that time, R.K. Laxman made a very interesting cartoon. That cartoon was a joke back then, but later, it became a reality. It was an example of how that Prime Minister’s words were ‘hawa hawai’ (empty talk) and disconnected from reality.”

PM Modi described how the cartoon depicted an airplane labelled “An exciting trip to 21st Century” being pulled by a cart, highlighting the stark contrast between the lofty ambitions of the time and the lack of tangible progress.

The PM continued: “We are almost 40-50 years late. The work that should have been done decades ago is being completed now.”

He added: “That is why, when the public gave us the opportunity, we prioritised youth development and nation-building.”

The Prime Minister asserted that the work needed for the nation’s progress should have been done decades ago but it is only now being completed.

He also slammed the earlier regimes for focusing on promises that remained unfulfilled, thus leaving India behind by several decades.

Highlighting the steps taken by his government, he pointed to initiatives such as the opening of the space sector, the defence sector, and various measures to foster innovation.

“We developed Startup India to promote innovation and created new plans to help young people achieve their potential,” the Prime Minister said.

IANS

 

New CM tomorrow at BJP’s ‘Viksit Delhi Pledge Ceremony’ in Ramlila Maidan

New Delhi: Asserting that a new chapter of the national capital's progress was unfolding, Delhi BJP on Wednesday invited the people for the 'Viksit Delhi Pledge Ceremony' at Ramlila Maidan...

India-Qatar relations elevated to Strategic Partnership as PM Modi continues to solidify ties with Middle East nations

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Qatar's Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani on Tuesday signed an agreement to elevate India-Qatar relations to a Strategic Partnership with focus...

BJP sweeps Gujarat local body polls 

Ahmedabad: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has once again asserted its dominance in Gujarat's local body elections, securing a decisive victory in the Junagadh Municipal Corporation by winning 48 out...

USAID effectively ran India’s National Family Health Survey from 1990s: Sanjeev Sanyal

New Delhi: Sanjeev Sanyal, member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) on Monday said those concerned about USAID's interference in Indian elections should be equally concerned...

Pak link allegations: Open to any investigation, says Gaurav Gogoi

Guwahati: In response to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s series of allegations against Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi about having Pakistani links, the Member of Parliament from Jorhat constituency on...

Sam Pitroda’s views on China do not reflect Congress’ stance, says Jairam Ramesh

New Delhi: Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh has clarified that the views expressed by Sam Pitroda in an interview to IANS regarding China do not represent the position of the...

Congress sidesteps Tharoor as LoP Satheesan counters Kerala’s ‘progress’ claims

Thiruvananthapuram: Two days after Congress MP Shashi Tharoor stirred controversy by highlighting Kerala’s progress -- bringing unexpected cheer to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the Left -- his party colleagues...

China’s agents: BJP slams Sam Pitroda’s statement, accuses Cong of having soft corner for Beijing

New Delhi: BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari sharply criticised Sam Pitroda, the Indian Overseas Congress Chief on Monday following his recent statement that China should not be considered India’s enemy. Bhandari...

Gujarat local body elections underway, BJP wins 215 seats unopposed

Ahmedabad: Voting for the Gujarat local body elections began at 7 a.m. on Sunday and will continue until 6 p.m., with counting scheduled for Tuesday. The elections cover Junagadh Municipal...

Politics heats up in Telangana over reservation for Backward Classes

Hyderabad: Politics in Telangana is heating up over the issue of reservation as the Congress government plans to pass a bill in the State Legislature next month to enhance reservation...

New CM’s name will be out in couple of days, says Delhi BJP chief; 3 AAP councillors jump ship

New Delhi: The suspense over the name of the new Delhi Chief Minister is likely to continue for a few more days, hinted Delhi BJP President Virender Sachdeva on Saturday,...

Diplomacy does not mean saying everything in public: Shashi Tharoor

Thiruvananthapuram: Reacting to the deporting of Indian nationals from the U.S., the former diplomat and senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, saying diplomacy does...

Read Previous

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey seeks privilege motion against Rahul Gandhi over China charges in LS

Read Next

‘JFK’s Forgotten Crisis’ reveals Nehru’s ‘games’ in foreign policy: PM Modi tells MPs

WP2Social Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com