Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the 2024 election had brought people’s approval not just for his government’s performance in the last 10 years, but also for its plans for the future, confirming that the NDA alone enjoyed people’s trust to serve them and realize their dreams.

Replying to the Rajya Sabha debate on the Motion of Thanks to President Droupadi Murmu’s address to a joint sitting of Parliament on 27th June, he said the Indian economy was at the 10th place in the world, and his government’s work in the last 10 years had brought it to the fifth place, despite Covid-19 and other challenges.

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The recent election, he said, had given his government a mandate to take the country’s economy among the top three in the world. Some people in the Opposition believed it would happen on its own, perhaps on “auto-pilot or remote-pilot,” without working for it. But, he said, his government would not leave any stone unturned to fulfill the mandate.

The Prime Minister spoke for almost two hours from 12 noon, but before he spoke on Manipur and warned against politics over the State, or putting fuel to the fire; and referred to his commitment to fight corruption and giving free hand to investigating agencies, the Opposition staged a walk-out.

The Opposition wanted permission for Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to react within minutes of Mr Modi’s speech, but when he was not allowed, Opposition members kept raising noises and staged a walk-out about 12.30 pm. The Opposition was already not in full strength.

Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said he had allowed everyone to speak at length, and the House sat till late last night for that. Mr Kharge had not respected norms, and the Constitution was insulted by the walk-out, he said. The Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die after the adoption of the Motion of Thanks by voice-vote.

The Prime Minister said he had spoken about Manipur at length in the last session. The government is engaged in making the situation normal in the State. More than 11,000 FIRs have been filed on the incidents and over 500 arrests made. The incidents of violence are on the decline and peace was within reach.

Mr Modi said schools and colleges in Manipur are functioning normally, just as offices, while examinations are taking place. He said the Centre and the State Government are working together for a peaceful settlement. Home Minister Amit Shah and the Minister of State for Home had spent days in the State.

The Prime Minister said senior officers have also been taking rounds of the State. At present, there are floods in the State and two teams of the NDRF have been sent there. Mr Modi said “we should rise over politics and help in the situation. The elements trying to put fuel to fire will be rejected by people of Manipur.”

Those who know Manipur history know the State has had social conflict for long and the State was put under the President’s Rule 10 times for this under previous governments, he said. There must have been some issues. In 1993 also there was violence in the State and it continued for five years.

The government is ready to take help from anyone and efforts are being made by the government to restore normalcy and peace in the State, he said.

The Prime Minister said the North East was neglected by the Congress Party while his government is engaged in making the region a growth-engine. The government wanted the region to be a gateway for trade, tourism and culture. What his government had achieved there in the last five years, a Congress government would not have done so in 20 years, he said.

The government provided extensive infrastructure for connectivity, he said. For stable peace, efforts were made and they had yielded results, although they had not come in open discussions. Several boundary-disputes were resolved. Armed insurgents surrendered and accepted punishments, he said.

The Prime Minister said recent elections in Jammu and Kashmir had beaten records of many decades. This showed acceptance of the Indian Constitution and the Election Commission of India there. Terrorism is on its last legs in the region and its network is being dismantled. Local people are cooperating. Terrorism and separatism are both on decline, while tourism is improving.

The Prime Minister said the Congress is the biggest opponent of the Constitution, and its record of the Emergency and numerous amendments in the Constitution showed this. The Emergency reference cannot be rejected as being too old to be discussed.

Nothing could be misleading to say the recent election was on the defence of the Constitution, he said. There was a bulldozer run on the Constitution during the Emergency. The 1977 election was the one fought for the defence of the Constitution after a period when the radio or newspapers had no freedom.

The Lok Sabha had a tenure of seven years. Recently, the Congress government of Dr Manmohan Singh had a National Advisory Council (NAC) over the Prime Minister. Where does the Constitution allow this, he said.

The Emergency was not just a Constitutional crisis but even a human tragedy. People just disappeared. Jayaprakash Narayan was jailed, and he fell sick, never to recover. Many small parties took birth then but they were today supporting the Congress, and helping it survive as a “parjeevi” (parasite) entity, Mr Modi said.

The Prime Minister said he had told the investigating agencies to take the toughest steps against corruption. “Work honestly, work for honesty,” he had told them. None would escape action for corruption. “The fight against corruption for me is not linked to electoral victory or defeat, it is my mission and conviction; I am dedicated to it,” he said.

Mr Modi said he had promised in 2014 action for welfare of the poor and against corruption, and he had fulfilled them