"The good news is Parliament is running," remarked Prime Minister Narendra Modi today as he sent his audience at an event into peals of laughter.
Modi was delivering the inaugural address at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here and 35 minutes into his speech inquired from his hosts whether he had some more time. He began his speech at 1015 am shortly before the scheduled commencement of Parliament session at 11 am.
"I have to go to Parliament. The good news is that Parliament is running," he said, and hastened to add," the credit does not go to Modi but to all the parties". The audience at the event comprised dignitaries from various walks of life.
The prime minister made the reference about the functioning of the Parliament against the backdrop of the virtual washout of its Monsoon session over various issues.
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Modi also took a dig at critics for not appreciating various initiatives including 'give up LPG subsidy' and cited some examples laced with humour to give details of measures undertaken by his government.
Talking about Direct Benefit Transfer(DBT) of LPG subsidy directly to banks accounts of consumers, he drew an analogy with airplane seats.
"Most of you people travel in plane. This is our psyche that when we travel in plane, we keep our bag on the next seat and when its occupant comes, we feel as though he or she has taken our seat," Modi said, as people nodded and laughed on the example.
"So people with this kind of psyche, I asked them that God has bestowed you with money, why can't you let go Rs 400-500 of subsidy on LPG. More than 40 lakh people have given up their subsidy after the call," the Prime Minister said.
At another point, he said if Modi had decided to cut subsidy so those who consider themselves as reformists would have praised him for weeks.
"They would have said this man is powerful as he has cut the subsidies.
"But (for them), Modi is not reformist if with targeted subsidies he has checked leakages and saved government's money," he added.
