PM Modi tears into Congress: 'Failed as Opposition', 'no courage to contest elections'; top quotes

This Budget Session consists of eight sittings over 10 days with a scheduled conclusion on February 9.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 5 replied to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address. Attacking the prime rival Congress, Modi said the party has "failed as an Opposition", and its leaders have "lost the courage to contest elections".

Here are PM Modi's top quotes against the Opposition:

-I see that many of you (Opposition) have even lost the courage to contest elections. Some seats were changed last time too, I have heard that many people are looking to change their seats this time as well. I have also heard that many people now want to go to Rajya Sabha instead of Lok Sabha. They are looking for their paths by assessing the situation.

-I appreciate the Opposition's resolve to remain in the opposition for a long time...The way you sat here (in government) for many decades, the same way you resolve to sit there (in opposition)...In the next election, you will reach greater heights, you will sit in the spectators' gallery (of Parliament)."

-Ek hi product baar-baar launch karne ke chakkar mein, Congress ki dukaan tala lagne ki naubat aa gayi hai(Congress' shop is on verge of closure in its attempt to launch same product again and again).

-The country has borne the brunt of dynasticism, and Congress has also suffered from the same. The situation is that (Mallikarjun) Kharge has shifted from this House (Lok Sabha) to that House (Rajya Sabha), and Ghulam Nabi Azad has been shifted out of the party. They all became the victims of dynasticism.

-Congress disrespected Karpoori Thakur, who dedicated his entire life for the principles of democracy and values of the Constitution. Congress keeps on asking how many OBC people are holding positions in the government, I am surprised they cannot see the biggest OBC (pointing towards himself).

-Congress is stuck in cancel culture. We say Make in India, they say cancel. We say Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Congress says cancel. We say Vocal for Local. Congress says cancel. How long will you keep harbouring so much hatred, you are trying to cancel even the country's achievement?

-The Congress government cannot even imagine the speed with which work is being done in the country today. We built 4 crore houses for the poor, out of which 80 lakh pucca houses were built for the urban poor. If work had been done at the speed of Congress, it would have taken 100 years to complete this much work, 100 generations would have passed.

-The leaders of the opposition have changed but they keep on repeating the same thing. It's election time, and you should have worked a bit harder, brought something new and sent a message to the people. However, you failed miserably. Let me teach you this very thing. The Congress party is responsible for the current condition of the Opposition. Congress got an opportunity to become a good Opposition. However, they failed to fulfil their responsibility in the last 10 years.

-We filled up ditches left by UPA in our first term, laid new India's foundation in second, will expedite building developed India in third.