New Delhi, Feb 5 (NationPress) Referring to the recent trade agreement with the EU as the ‘Mother of All Deals’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday highlighted the Bofors gun kickback scandal during his address in the Rajya Sabha. He utilized this example to criticize past corrupt administrations and Congress leaders who emphasized “enriching themselves” rather than focusing on public welfare.

In his response to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, PM Modi articulated that former governments and leaders neglected the enhancement of people's lives, choosing instead to prioritize their own financial gains.

Bringing attention to the Bofors scandal from the Congress period, PM Modi stated, “Examine the Prime Ministerial speeches from the Congress era at Red Fort, and you will concur that they were devoid of vision, ideas, or intentions for trade agreements.”

The Bofors scandal referenced by the Prime Minister was a significant political controversy concerning a weapons contract between India and Sweden during the 1980s and 1990s, involving Congress politicians and implicating then PM Rajiv Gandhi alongside several officials from both the Indian and Swedish governments.

Charging Congress with engaging in vote bank politics, PM Modi remarked, “Those engrossed in vote bank politics could never prioritize trade agreements with developed countries.”

Attributing the recent India-EU trade agreement to the government's commitment to moving away from the Congress-era adhocism towards more progressive policies, PM Modi asserted, “Today, our nation is aboard the ‘Reforms Express’ as part of our governance philosophy of Reform, Perform, and Transform.”

He reminisced about his time as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, stating, “I initiated economic reforms in such a manner that Japan chose to partner with us for the ‘Vibrant Gujarat’ event. I am perpetuating this at the national level, rendering trade agreements with India attractive to developed nations.”

He proclaimed that India has emerged as a model for developing nations.

Additionally, he addressed the issue of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh in the nation, criticizing parties—without naming the Trinamool Congress—that attempt to shield individuals who engage in crime and seize resources intended for the country's youth.

PM Modi also targeted the Aam Aadmi Party for corruption and alleged financial misconduct related to the renovation of ‘Sheeshmahal’, the residence of the Delhi Chief Minister under Arvind Kejriwal, asserting that leaders from that party would struggle in any debate regarding corruption.

He highlighted the government's initiatives to implement policy reforms in the banking sector, successfully reducing non-performing assets (NPA) in public sector banks to less than one percent, with banks now reporting record profits.

He declared that the era of “tele-banking” has ended, as the days of approving loans for entrepreneurs based on phone calls from Ministers are now a thing of the past.