New Delhi, Feb 7 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Rajya Sabha address on Wednesday, took a series of digs at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and also lambasted the Gandhi family, without naming them, for throttling democracy in its long reign after Independence.


Replying to the Motion of Thanks on President's address, PM Modi rained blows on the grand old party while holding it responsible for India's backwardness in the 'pre-2014 era'.

Taking swipe at Mallikarjun Kharge, PM Modi said that Lower House proceedings lacked some 'entertainment' but that was duly fulfilled by Congress President.

PM Modi said, 'As I listened to his speech, I also wondered how he got the freedom to speak so much. Then, I found that two commanders were missing."

"Kharge ji thought aisa mauka phir kahan milega (I will not get such an opportunity) and scored fours & sixes,' PM Modi added.

He further referred to Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee's recent statement that the Congress may not cross 40 seats in upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

'I pray that you keep 40 seats with you,' he said taking jibe at the Leader of Opposition in the Upper House.

In his fiery speech, Prime Minister launched a no-holds barred attack on the Congress and said that its 'family over nation' approach not just halted nation's progress but also belittled its own leader's contributions.

He said that the party went on giving Bharat Ratna to family members and naming roads after Gandhi surname.

Blasting the grand old party, he said that it was awful on its part to lecture the BJP on standards of governance.

Listing out its series of failures, he said: 'It was the same party which ceded India's territory to its enemies, it was the same party that dithered on modernisation of Armed Forces, it was the same party that failed to decide between nationalisation and privatisation in its decades of governance.'

/IANS