Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday said the Congress and other opposition parties have brought the no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government in the Lok Sabha at a 'wrong time and in a wrong manner'.
The minister said that at a time when Prime Minister Modi has emerged as the world leader and the country was marching ahead to become a developed nation by 2047, there was no need for such a motion against the government.
Instead, he said, the Opposition should join hands with the government to celebrate 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' and work towards achieving the target set by the prime minister for the next 25 years.
"The Congress and opposition parties will regret bringing in the no-confidence motion at the wrong time and in a wrong manner," the minister said.
Rijiju urged the opposition parties to be 'a part of this great journey to make India a developed country', as he recalled the achievements of the Modi government in various fields, including economy, sports and space technology.
"You may not like BJP or Modi, but you should support India," he said, adding, "You should not oppose India by assuming the name INDIA (opposition alliance)."
India, he said, has become the fastest-growing economy in the world because of the various initiatives taken by the government since 2014.
Rijiju further said that Chandrayan-3 is in the final stages and will land on the south pole of the moon on August 23.
He also urged the members not to speak against the country in foreign universities as it only supports the domestic eco-system which is against India.
Talking about the European Parliament resolution on developments in Manipur, the minister said India is strong enough to deal with domestic issues and no foreign power needs to interfere in the affairs of the country.
Referring to the issues facing the northeast, Rijiju said it was the Modi government which paid special focus on the region and today rail lines are being laid in several parts of the region. The prime minister wants the northeast to become an engine of growth, he added.
He regretted that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hardly met MPs from the northeastern states though he himself represented Assam in the Rajya Sabha.
Rijiju attributed the current problems in Manipur to the negligent attitude of the previous Congress governments.
Under the current government, the coverage area under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act has been reduced by 75 per cent, he said.
The minister also talked about the success of the Fit India programme of the Modi government and said even MPs on both sides are looking more fit now.
Earlier, intervening in the debate, Rijiju had said, "When our government was formed, in the first cabinet meeting, (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi ji made a group and said that every 15 days, five cabinet ministers and seven ministers of state must tour the Northeast. It is still going on, all the ministers sitting here have toured the northeast."
"PM Modi has also given directives to officials to visit the Northeast and meet people. There is no meaning of ruling from Delhi, one can reach the people through service. You never thought about this. The prime minister has won the confidence of the people," Rijiju said.
Hitting back, the Congress challenged him to furnish details of the visits of Union ministers to Manipur in the last 97 days.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that during the no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha, Union Minister Rijiju has 'boasted about the prime minister's directions to Cabinet ministers and ministers of state to visit the Northeast every 15 days'.
'Yes, we all know about the frequency of visits of Union ministers before any election. But it has been 97 days since the horrific ethnic violence broke out in Manipur. INDIA (opposition bloc) asks how many of Modi's ministers have been to Manipur?' Ramesh said on Twitter.
'We challenge you to furnish details of the visits of Union ministers to Manipur in the last 97 days!' he said.
The Congress accused Prime Minister Modi of taking a 'vow of silence' on issues such as the ethnic violence in Manipur and Chinese incursions, and said opposition parties were forced to bring a no-confidence motion against the government to make him speak up.
