As if sky has fallen: Sena’s dig at BJP after row over its leader meeting Naidu

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi took potshots at Congress president Rahul Gandhi over the Rafale issue and made a strong pitch for electing a majority government in national interest, as he addressed the 16th Lok Sabha for the final time on Wednesday.

Modi said the House did not witness any earthquake, an apparent reference to claims of Rahul Gandhi that his revelation on Rafale would create tremors. Taking a swipe at Gandhi, who was not present in the House at that time, the prime minister referred to the Congress president's hug and "winking" episode, saying it was a new thing he witnessed as a first time member of Parliament.

"We heard that there would a earthquake. The five-year tenure is coming to an end but we did not witness any earthquake," he said, on a day the much-awaited CAG report on the controversy-hit Rafale deal was tabled in Parliament.

"Kabhi hawai jazah ude. Bade bade logo ne hawai jahaz udaye. Lekin loktantra aur Lok Sabha ki maryada itni oonchi hai ki earthquake ko bhi pachha gaya aur koi jahaz bhi utni oonchi par nahi ja paya (They tried to fly aeroplanes but our strong democracy and the dignity of Lok Sabha did not allow it or any earthquake)," he said.

He also referred to an incident in the house in the monsoon session when Rahul Gandhi hugged Modi and later winked after returning to his seat during a no-confidence motion against the government in July last year.

"Pahli baar mujhe pata chala ki gale milna or gale padne mein kya antar hota hai. Ye pahli baar mujhe pata chala. Pahli baar...aankho se gushtakhyo wala khel bhi pahli baar iss sadan mein dekhene ko mila (It is the first time that I realised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and other members in the Lok Sabha on the last day of the Budget Session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Wednesday

the difference between embracing someone and imposing oneself...the insolence reflected through eyes.. this game was seen in this house," he said.

Narrating another incident, the Prime Minister said when "I was responding to Motion of Thanks on the President's speech, I was witness to 'athaahas' (loud laughter)."

Entertainment industry, he said, can learn something as many actors cannot do such kind of acting. Besides recalling several anecdotes, the Prime Minister in his 30-minute address also praised Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and leader of Congress Mallikarjun Kharge for playing their respective roles in Lok Sabha.

Modi also thanked SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav for his "blessings" after Yadav said that he wished that Modi would return as prime minister.

India's self confidence has increased and the country's ranking on various parameters has seen improvement, the prime minister said.

He said India suffered globally for long due to fractured mandates. But now it is taken seriously in the global arena because of the majority government, he said.

The PM maintained that neither he nor External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj are responsible for India's enhanced image globally.

It is mainly because the country has got a majority government after a gap of three decades, he said, adding the credit goes to the people of the country.

The 16th Lok Sabha passed 203 bills out of 219 introduced, including one on curbing black money, the PM said.

"About 219 Bills were introduced and 203 Bills were passed. The 16th Lok Sabha members can boast of passing the bill to curb black money and corruption," he said. MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena on Wednesday said its leader Sanjay Raut's visit to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu during his fast in Delhi was merely a courtesy call, and criticised the BJP over handling of its allies.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party also said what was the guarantee that the BJP will not reach out to its former ally, the Naidu-led TDP, in case it falls short of numbers to form government after the Lok Sabha elections.

Senior Sena leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut had on Monday made a surprise appearance at Naidu's day-long protest over demand for special status for his state, saying he came to attend the event as a representative of his party, which shares strained relations with senior ally BJP.

Justifying Raut's meeting with Naidu, the Sena, in an editorial in party mouthpiece ‘Saamana', said the leader visited Andhra Pradesh chief minister as a “courtesy” because his state has been split into two.

“We are also against splitting of states. But our visit has been seen as if sky has fallen upon the government,” it said.

“What is the guarantee that if required, senior BJP leaders will not knock at the doors of Naidu for his support to form government after the Lok Sabha polls?” it asked.

Naidu was a “great leader” till the time he was with the NDA and now he is suddenly “untouchable”, it quipped.

Recalling BJP'S alliance with PDP in Jammu and Kashmir, it said the Mehbooba Muftiled party's Rajya Sabha member Fayaz Ahmad Mir has demanded return of mortal remains of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat, founder of the separatist J&K Liberation Front (JKLF).

Both were buried at the Tihar jail in Delhi. Bhat was hanged in Tihar on February 11, 1984 following his conviction in the killing of an intelligence official while Guru was hanged on February 9, 2013.

“This demand is preposterous. But it is the same PDP with which the BJP had shared power in Jammu and Kashmir. During that time, the state saw maximum bloodshed, several attacks took place and some were even rewarded despite having terror links,” the Sena claimed.