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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday tore into the Opposition parties in Parliament accusing the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party of contributing to the widespread spread of COVID-19 in the initial days by pushing migrant labourers to leave Mumbai and Delhi, thereby triggering a crisis.
"The Congress Party has crossed all limits during the first wave COVID pandemic. During the first wave, when people were following lockdowns, in the entire world guidelines were suggesting that people stay where they are... then Congress leaders were standing at Mumbai station and scaring innocent people. They pushed migrant workers in Mumbai to return to their states," the PM said in his reply to the Motion of Thanks debate in Lok Sabha.
The prime minister said that the (Congress) had crossed all limits and committed a paap (sin) and a mahaapradh (big crime)... 'pushed migrant labourers into difficulties'.
"Congress gave free train tickets to migrant workers to leave Mumbai. At the same time, the Delhi government went around slums in jeeps and announced on mics that whoever wants to go home, buses have been arranged.to leave the city.... This led to the spread of COVID in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand. What kind of politics is this? How long will this politics will continue? The entire country is shocked by the behavior of Congress," he added.
Attacking the Opposition further, he said, "Now Congress has made up its mind not to come to power for the next 100 years. You can oppose me, but why are you (Congress) opposing the Fit India Movement and other schemes? No wonder you were voted out in many states years ago. If we are talking about being 'vocal for local', are we not fulfilling the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi? Then, why was it being mocked by the Opposition?"
The prime minister said that all this was being done because 'some people thought that the coronavirus will damage the image of Modi'.
"We are firm believers in democracy. And, we also believe that criticism is an essential part of democracy. But, blind opposition to everything is never the way ahead. We are all people committed to democracy by culture, by behavior and not from today, but for centuries. It is true that criticism is the ornament of a vibrant democracy, but superstition is a disrespect to democracy," he added.
The 2022 Budget Session of the Parliament commenced on January 31 with President Ram Nath Kovind's address.
The first part of the budget session is being held from January 31 to February 11 and the second part will take place from March 14 to April 8.