New Delhi: On the concluding day of the last Lok Sabha session before he faces general elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the five years of the 17th Lok Sabha have been about “perform, reform and transform”.
Many game-changing decisions were taken in these five years, he said. Recalling one central government move after another, the PM emphasised that the next 25 years are important for the country and that it will achieve glory.
“These five years were about ‘reform’, ‘perform’ and ‘transform’ in the country. It is very rare that both ‘reform’ and ‘perform’ take place and we can see transformation right in front of our eyes…The country is experiencing this through the 17th Lok Sabha and I firmly believe that the country will continue to bless the 17th Lok Sabha,” Modi said in Parliament.
On the “achievements” of 17th Lok Sabha, the PM said that Article 370 was a roadblock in the Constitution, and the work of abrogating it was done via the Parliament.
“We created a strong law against terrorism…In the new Parliament building, the start of proceedings happened with a great measure, the Women’s Reservation Bill,” he said, adding that very important work of eliminating triple talaq and bringing justice for women was done by the 17th Lok Sabha.
Modi went on to say: “Politics has its own place, the expectations of political people are different. The country’s aspiration and resolution have been made.”
He added: “When the Dandi March started in 1930, it was small. The period of 25 years till 1947 had created the feeling in the heart of every person that he would be free. Today, the spirit is visible in the country that we will show a developed India in 25 years. There will be no one among us who will have this dream.”
Taking a dig at the Opposition, the PM said: “Some people have made it a resolution that those who will not be able to join and survive will definitely reap the consequences.”
Also Read: Parliamentary panel urges Modi govt to increase MGNREGS workdays from 100 to 150
‘Unnecessary laws removed for ease of doing business’
A day after a discussion on his government’s white paper in Parliament, the prime minister said that “game-changer reforms” have taken place during five years of the 17th Lok Sabha.
Speaking about his government’s decisions, he said that his government has ended many roadblocks for laws in the last five years and also removed unnecessary laws. The government’s priority, he said, is to end the government’s role in the common man’s life.
“We have removed more than 60 unnecessary laws like the Companies Act, the Limited Liability Partnership Act. This was necessary for ease of doing business. There were many laws that put people in jail for small reasons. If you are a company and the bathroom is not white-washed within 6 months then you’d be put in jail. This was the task of trusting the citizens, this was done by the Lok Sabha,” he said.
He added that all MPs played a role in the economic reforms undertaken by the country. “In the past years, people have been kept unnecessarily entangled in such things through thousands of compliances, work has been done to free them from those. The common man gets buried under its burden. The sooner the government goes out of people’s lives, the better their lives will be. Why should the government intervene at every step in everyday life? There cannot be such a democracy where the influence of the government affects its very life.”
Modi further said that for the young generation, a law was enacted to check question paper leaks and for women, the Women’s Reservation Bill was passed.
“Strict laws have been made for problems like paper leaks. All MPs have taken an important decision to address the anger that the youth had towards the system. It is true that no human race can survive without research. Millions of years of history of mankind are witness to the fact that in every period, research has been done and life has expanded. The House worked to encourage research by creating a formal legal system. The results of the National Research Foundation will be far-reaching. Similarly, through the data protection law, the future of the youth was secured,” he added.
“No matter how bad the days are, we will keep doing something for the future generation,” he further said.
‘Some show courage in speaking on Ram Mandir, others ran’
On the Ram temple debate, he said: “Ram Mandir gave the future generations an opportunity to be proud of the country’s values. Some people show courage in speaking on this subject, some run away from the field. There is compassion, sympathy and resolution in the lectures given today. No matter how bad the days are, we will continue to do something for the future generations. We will continue to achieve better results with collective determination and strength.”
In another swipe at the Opposition, the PM said: “Elections are not far away. Some people might be nervous. This is an innate and essential aspect of democracy. We accept it with pride. Our elections are going to increase the pride of the country. The tradition of democracy will surprise the entire world.”
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
Also Read: Modi govt advises House panel against linking judges’ retirement age with quality of orders