Congress defaming India, putting nation at stake for ‘failed product’: PM Modi targets Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi, October 22 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the Congress party, accusing it of going abroad to defame India, soliciting foreign intervention, and casting doubt on the nation’s achievements to shield its leadership from the stigma of repeated failures.Addressing the NDTV World Summit, PM Modi said that while the world is searching for a new global order, India is dreaming of a new era. At a time of global uncertainty, the image of a strong India is reaching the world stage. However, he alleged, some are bent on dragging the country’s reputation through the mud.“They go abroad to defame the country and even solicit foreign intervention. One wonders how long the Congress will continue to put the nation at stake just to launch its ‘failed product’,” the Prime Minister said, though he avoided naming anyone but made a veiled attack on Rahul Gandhi.He remarked that the Congress attempts more unsuccessful “launches” of “its leader” in a single year than are seen across the entire country.PM Modi alleged that in an attempt to protect its own family from the stigma of constant failure, the Congress is questioning India’s achievements, virtues and progress.“The grapes are truly sour,” he said.He further claimed that the family has become a burden on the Congress party itself, and that even senior leaders of the party privately acknowledge this but choose to remain silent and swallow the humiliation.The Prime Minister said this attitude of the Congress is harming democracy by drowning out the voices of honest critics of the government.“Genuine opponents who wish to raise issues through democratic means find their views stifled by the constant clamour created by the Congress,” he said.Even talented young parliamentarians from other opposition parties are not allowed space to speak, he alleged, because the Congress insists on keeping “only one person” in the limelight.PM Modi also accused the Congress of having fallen under the influence of “ideological Naxals.”Those who once created havoc in the forests, he said, have now infiltrated the party and are working to bring about the nation’s ruin.As a result, the Congress has lost the capacity to think for itself.Contrasting this with the national mood, the Prime Minister said the people of India are filled with a powerful spirit of “We will do it.”He reaffirmed the vision of “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India), stating that the country’s strength lies in the self-confidence of its 1.4 billion citizens. India, he said, will innovate, overcome challenges, and ensure that its success becomes a success for the entire world.