PM Modi stresses national interest at BJP meet, takes a swipe at Opposition parties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the leaders of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to always keep national interest above the party. The Prime Minister made the remarks at the BJP’s Parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday.

“National interest is above the party. We all work for national interest. Some are working for their parties instead of national interest. Vikas (development) is our mantra; peace, unity and harmony are prerequisites for development,” the Prime Minister said, attacking the Opposition parties.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President JP Nadda, MoS PMO Jitendra Singh and Union Minister Smriti Irani are also in attendance at the meeting.

The Opposition has been targeting the BJP-led government at the Centre over the recent Delhi violence which has claimed the lives of 46 people and left more than 200 injured.

The second half of Parliament’s Budget Session that resumed on Monday saw repeated adjournments in both houses of Parliament over the issue of violence in Delhi.

Members of the Congress party, including its Leader of Opposition Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Gaurav Gogoi, Manickam Tagore and SU Thirunavukkarasar, pressed for adjournment motions, to discuss the Delhi riots which the party described as a “communal conflagration”.

In all, 23 notices of adjournment were filed by opposition members.

Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, then carried out a protest outside the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, demanding the resignation of Union home minister Amit Shah.

The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) members, too, filed adjournment motions.

The violence broke out last week between the two groups supporting and protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) act or CAA, another issue used by the Opposition to target government. The Opposition has accused the government of dividing the country on religious lines through CAA, which seeks to grant citizenship to persecuted religious minorities from three neighbouring countries.

The government, however, hit back, saying the Opposition is spreading lies and accuse them trying to fanning communal tension.