New Delhi: Replying to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that it seems that the Opposition has decided to remain in Opposition for a long time. “You have taken a resolution to remain in the Opposition…the people of India will give you their blessings…” the PM said.  

Taking a potshot at the Opposition, PM Modi said, “The way you sat here (in govt) for many decades, the same way you resolve to sit there (in opposition)…The public will certainly give you its blessings…”

Sharpening his attack on the Congress party, the Prime Minister held the Grand Old Party responsible for the ‘condition of the Opposition’ today. “They got so many opportunities, but they were not able to do their duty in 10 years,” the PM said while replying to the Motion Of Thanks in Lok Sabha.

The debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address began on Friday and will conclude on Monday. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had earlier issued a three-line whip to all its MPs in Lok Sabha to be present in the lower house on the fourth day of the ongoing budget session.

Taking a dig at PM Modi, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said earlier in the day that the PM’s speech will be an “electoral speech”.

“In a vote of thanks, the opposition leader speaks first and then the prime minister replies to it. It will be an electoral speech…I do not expect anything from the PM. They will defame Congress, and will not say anything about Manipur, China, rising unemployment, inflation, Paytm…He will only keep praising himself,” the Congress leader told news agency ANI.