Modi accuses Congress of dividing country, says whole of Kashmir would have remained if Sardar Patel was PM

Launching a blistering attack  during his reply to the motion of thanks on the President's address, Modi also sought to take away from the Congress its aura of the past  when he claimed that India did not get democracy due to Pandit Jawarharlal Nehru. 

"You (Congress) broke up India in 1947 and the nation is paying a price even today. Your divisive politics broke up Andhra Pradesh in 2014 and the fire is still raging today," he said launching a blistering attack soon after he began his address in the House.

Reacting to a series of attacks of the Opposition on his government and its policies, Modi said, "The country was partitioned, the seeds of poison was sown. You divided the country for electoral and petty gains...people are suffering even today."

If Sardar Vallabhai Patel was India's first PM, the whole of Jammu and Kashmir would have remained with the country : PM Modi

Ignoring a ruckus by Opposition members, who kept shouting "stop giving false promises", Modi  also lambasted the Congress for brainwashing people into thinking the Congress, and especially Jawaharlal Nehru, brought democracy to India.

"India did not get democracy due to Pandit Nehru, as Congress wants us to believe. Please look at our rich history. There are many examples of rich democratic traditions that date back centuries ago. Democracy is integral to this nation and is in our culture."

"How did the Congress act in Kerala, how did they treat the Akali Dal in Punjab, how did they behave in Tamil Nadu? Why did Congress dismiss so many state governments at their will? This is no commitment to democracy," Modi said.

He said for  decades, one party devoted all their energy to serving one family and the  interests of the nation were looked over .

"To this day, 125 crore Indians are paying the price for your sins, you divided India keeping elections in mind, you closed Parliament's doors without heeding peoples wishes, the seeds you sowed at that time, its ramifications are being felt to this day," the PM said.

Speaking on the achievements of incumbent government, PM Modi said: The NDA government has changed the work culture in the nation. Projects are not only being thought about but also being executed in a timely manner

"The NDA government is building more roads than the previous one. We have given a strong boost to the infrastructure sector across the nation. More villages are getting optical fibre network in the last three years than they got previously."

Employment is increasing but you have closed your eyes as you are busy singing your songs. Atal Bihari Vajpayee said, "Chhote mann se koi bada nahi hota aur toote mann se koi khada nahi hota" 

He also criticised the manner in which the previous Congress-led central government handled the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. "When we speak of creating new states, we remember the manner in which Atal Bihari Vajpayee-ji created Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. He showed how farsighted decision-making is done," he said.

Modi said the  Congress "messed up" while dividing Andhra Pradesh,  adding, "They did it in a hurry, and without much thought or research."