Congress has not been able to digest BJP's win in LS polls: Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress party in the Rajya Sabha, saying that it could not digest the victory of his party and its own loss in the Lok Sabha elections.

"My friends in Congress have not been able to digest our victory and they have not been able to accept their own defeat. This is not a healthy sign in a democracy," he said replying to the debate on the President's address in the House.

Modi said the Congress cried foul when it lost the elections and blamed it on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). "If you do not believe in yourself, you tend to find excuses," Modi added.

The Prime Minister further said that the rules pertaining to EVM were formulated during the tenure of the Congress in 1992. "You (Congress) had devised the rules and you are the only one who is blaming it for your loss in the elections," he said.

Extolling BJP leaders for not lamenting over the party's loss in previous elections, Modi said: "There was a time when we had just two MPs in Parliament. People made fun of us. But we worked hard and won the trust of people. We did not make excuses and blame polling booth.

"In 2017, the Election Commission had invited parties on the issue of EVMs but only two parties --CPI and NCP accepted the offer. I appreciate them for going to the EC to learn more about the issue. But, why did the rest of the parties questioning the EVMs not even bother to go. They must answer this."

Outlining how the electoral process in the country has improved over the years, he said, "In 1950s polling process took a long time to complete. Violence and booth capturing were common in some places. Now, the news is about rising voter turnout. This is a healthy signal.