Reforms not a bad word, states must not shy away, says PM Modi in RS

Urging state governments to embrace the spirit of competition to attract foreign investments, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on Wednesday said reforms are not a bad word. He said governments should neither shy away from undertaking reforms nor fear it could cost them their perch on the seat of power.

Replying to the President’s address in the Rajya Sabha, the PM said the current decade was India’s moment but the evidence from the recent past is that the country missed opportunities to develop a mistake it should not repeat. He said the country should seize opportunities to leverage its demographic dividend of a young population.

Modi took potshots at the Congress over making the 2024 general elections about the protection of the Constitution, saying Indians voted on the plank only once when they threw out the Indira Gandhi government in 1977 after the Emergency.

He accused the Congress and INDIA bloc parties for opposing Constitution Day, prompting them to shout slogans and term Modi a "liar".

Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, wanted to intervene but was not allowed, leading to the opposition MPs staging a walkout.

Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar also condemned the walkout, calling it an insult to the Constitution.

He said countries that gained their independence at the same time as India undertook reforms in the 1980s and have emerged as developed economies.

“Even if late, India could catch up and fulfill the aspirations of its people,” the PM said, advocating greater participation of the common people.

In his nearly two-hour speech, Modi asserted that he learnt the importance of federalism from his years as the Gujarat chief minister.

He reiterated his commitment to strengthening “cooperative competitive federalism”, and said states should compete on issues of development, good governance, and policy formulation, generating employment and attracting foreign investments.

The PM said every state has an opportunity when the world is knocking on India’s doors.  He said competition among states will help the youth as new opportunities will be created.

He encouraged the states to constitute policies and frame the laws that enhance ‘Ease of Living’ among the citizens and asked states to come together to fight climate change.

Modi advocated more efficient decision-making by the government, the need to reduce its interference in the life of the citizens while maintaining government’s support for those who need it. “India is the first choice of the world,” the PM said, asking the states to seize the opportunity. 

During his speech, the PM also promised action on paper leak cases.

 Modi also listed out his previous government's achievements: from raising MSP for crops to giving the poor access to the banking system and loans and fuelling India's rise to become the fifth-largest economy.

With development and self-reliance as pivot, Modi said, India will "definitely" become the third-largest economy in the world in his third term.

On the situation in Manipur, the PM added that normalcy was returning in the state.