NEW DELHI, Feb 6: Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a strong rebuttal to Congress, accused the party of decades of ‘misrule’ and mismanagement, which he argued caused significant suffering to the people of India. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha during the Budget session on Thursday, Modi emphasized that only after 2014 did the country receive an alternative model of growth, bringing renewed hope and optimism to the nation.

Modi compared Congress’ “family-first” governance with the BJP’s “nation-first” approach, highlighting the success of the BJP’s “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” model, which he claimed has brought transformative change in the lives of ordinary people. He mockingly asserted that expecting a model like “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” from Congress would be unrealistic, noting that it was “out of their thinking, out of their understanding,” and that Congress lacked a clear roadmap for inclusive growth.

Pointing to the Congress party’s focus on dynastic politics, corruption, and appeasement, Modi argued that for Congress, “Family First” was the primary priority, while the BJP believes in placing the nation at the forefront. “The BJP model believes in ‘Nation First’ policy, which is the cornerstone of our governance and reflects in all our policies,” he said.

The Prime Minister lashed out at the previous Congress regimes for leaving the country backward for decades. “For five-six decades after Independence, there was no alternative to Congress rule,” Modi said, adding that it was only after 2014 that the BJP government introduced an alternative model based on the idea of ‘Santushtikaran’ (satisfaction). He also criticized Congress for allocating resources only to a select few, while depriving others of opportunities—a strategy they used during elections to win support from marginalized communities.

PM Modi reiterated that his government works on the optimal utilization of national resources and focuses on inclusive policies that benefit all sections of society. “Our policies are not for the select few, but for all sections of the country, and they are implemented in a time-bound manner,” he remarked.

This speech, delivered as part of the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address, comes as the BJP continues to emphasize its vision of inclusive growth and governance focused on the nation’s collective progress.