‘Photo sessions’, ‘AAP-da’: Top quotes from PM Modi’s speech in Lok Sabha ahead of Delhi Elections 2025

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took potshots at the Opposition while replying to the Motion of Thanks on President’s Address in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. He took a dig at the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of the Delhi Elections 2024. Here’s what he said:

1. ‘Photo sessions in huts of poor’

Taking a jibe at Lok Sabha’s Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, PM Narendra Modi said, “…Those who have photo sessions in the huts of the poor, for their own entertainment, will find the mention of the poor in Parliament boring. I can understand their anger.”

Soon after the President delivered her address to a joint sitting of Parliament on January 31, Sonia Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were seen discussing the speech in the Parliament complex. During the discussion, Rahul Gandhi was heard asking Sonia Gandhi if the President’s speech was “boring”.

2. ‘AAP-da’

PM Modi said some political parties are cheating the youth. In a wordplay, he referred to Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP and said, “These parties make promises during elections but do not fulfill them. These parties have fallen like a burden [AAP-da] on the future of the youth.”

3. ‘Bombs’ were hurled, ‘bullets’ were shot

PM Narendra Modi says, “In the last 10 years, we have enhanced savings of the middle class by reducing Income Tax.”

He said that before 2014, when the Congress was in power, “such ‘bombs’ were hurled and ‘bullets’ were shot, that it affected the lives of people.”

“We gradually healed those wounds and moved forward. In 2013-2014 tax exemption was only on ₹2 Lakh income. Today there is an Income tax exemption on ₹12 lakh income…We healed wounds and today we have applied bandages too. If we add the ₹75,000 standard deduction, after 1st April, salaried class in the country will not have to pay any tax on income upto ₹12.75 Lakh,” PM Modi said.

4. ‘Constitution in their pocket’

PM Narendra Modi said in the Lok Sabha that those who live with the Constitution in their pockets forget how they pushed Muslim women into hardships. He was taking a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

“Some leaders speak language of urban naxals, talk of waging war against Indian state, they cannot understand Constitution,” PM Modi said. “We live by spirit of Constitution and do not resort to politics of poison,” he added.

5. On Election Commissioners’ appointment

PM Modi said that earlier, prime ministers used to make appointments of Chief Election Commissioners at will. “We brought law to involve Leader of Opposition,” he said.

PM Modi’s comment was in reference to the remark Rahul Gandhi made in the Lok Sabha on Monday on the selection of election Commissioner.

Gandhi had said, “The Election Commissioner used to be chosen by the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice. The Chief Justice was removed from that committee. This is a question for the prime minister: Why was the chief justice removed from the committee?…”

He said, “Just prior to the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, the Election Commissioner was changed, and two new Election Commissioners were placed. We know that the election dates were changed…”

6. Jacuzzi, sheesh mahal

In another swipe at AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal, PM Modi said some leaders focus on jacuzzi and stylish showers while his government’s focus of providing water to every household.

PM Modi added, “The steps taken by the central government have saved crores of rupees, but the ‘Sheesh Mahal’ was not built with that money.”

PM Modi and BJP leaders have been attacking Kejriwal with ‘Sheesh mahal’ jibe for alleged lavish spending on the official bungalow where Kejriwal lived when he was chief minister before quitting.

7. ‘JFK’s Forgotten Crisis’

PM Narendra Modi says, “While discussing the President’s Address, foreign policy was also discussed here. A few people think that they don’t appear mature if they don’t speak on foreign policy. They think that they should definitely speak on foreign policy, even if it causes harm to the country.” 

‘I would like to tell such people – if they have a real interest in the subject of foreign policy, if they want to understand it and want to do something while going ahead, they should definitely read a book, ‘JFK’s Forgotten Crisis’…This book has been written by a famous foreign policy scholar…This book mentions the first PM who also looked after foreign policy,” PM Modi said. 

He added, “This book speaks in details about the discussions and decisions between Pandit Nehru and the then US President, John F Kennedy. When the country was facing several challenges, what was being done in the name of foreign policy at that time has been brought out through this book…”

8. Defends President’s address

PM Narendra Modi said, “…if we minutely study the President’s Address, it is clear that she spoke about building trust among people regarding the coming 25 years and Viksit Bharat. Her Address strengthens the resolve of Viksit Bharat, builds new confidence and inspires the common people.”

PM Modi said this after Congress Parliamentary Party hairperson Sonia Gandhi’s comments regarding President Droupadi Murmu’s address to Parliament on Friday ignited a political firestorm. Commenting on the President’s speech, Sonia Gandhi said, “She could hardly speak, poor thing.”