PM Narendra Modi's speech in Rajya Sabha - 'Congress is like death' - Here are top 10 quotes

New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday spoke in the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in the Rajya Sabha.

Here are  top 10 quotes from the PM's speech:-

1)- PM Modi takes a jibe on Congress

"There is a funny thing about death, no one blames death. People blame the reason - like cancer, etc- why people died. Sometimes I feel Congress has a boon like that. It'ss always said "attack on opposition", never reported as "attack on Congress. Like death, Congress never gets a bad name. " 

2)- PM Modi's dig at Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress

"I am grateful to Ghulam Nabi Azad, he brought a record of people who didn't have accounts under Jan Dhan Yojana. He worked as if with a microscope; 'Accha hota ki jab satta mei the to binocular lekar bhi kaam kar lete' (If they - Congress - had done their work even with binoculars, they would have been able to do a good job)."

3)- PM invokes Indira Gandhi to attack Congress

"There are two kind of people - one who work, and others  who just take credit. Indira Gandhi had asked people to strive to become the first kind as the competition is very less there."

(Duniya mein do tarah ke log hain, ek karya karne wale aur doosre jo uska shrey lete hain; Aap inmein se pehli tarah ka vyakti banne ka prayas karein, kyunki iss mein competition bahut kam hai, ye baat Indira ji ne kahi thi."

4)- PM Modi's dig at Manmohan Singh 

"I am not an economist like Manmohan Singh, that's why I am not that knowledgeable. But I know some things."

5) - PM Modi bats for girl child education, says we must give impetus to India's progress'

"In peak summer, we in Gujarat would to go to the villages and campaign for girl child education. We need to worry about lack of education facilities and overcome the challenges in this sphere."

"This is the Upper House. There are stalwarts in this House amd what happens here influences other assemblies as well. This is a Chamber of Ideas and it must guide the nation. Coordination between both Houses is essential. Nation is waiting for us to pass many Bills. Let us pass those bills passed in the Lok Sabha as soon as possible and give impetus to India's progress. Effective and last mile delivery is what we are working on."

6)- 'Focus on transperancy, governance, decentralisation'

"We need to shift from incremental improvements to a quantum jump and that is what we are trying. We have focussed on policy-driven governance and given an importance to transparency. We are focussing on accountability. I am reviewing infra projects and seeing projects are stalled for decades. Decentralisation is the third aspect of good governance." 

7)- 'Subsidy only for needy'

"Government is ensuring that benefit of subsidy goes only to those who are deserving of it, it's not issue of saving money." 

8)- 'Double farmers' income by 2022; Rashtriya Krishi Bazaar to be launched'

"We should aim to double the income of farmers by 2022." PM Modi emphasised on doubling agriculture income and value addition, more productivity in agriculture.

On 14th April, 'Rashtriya Krishi Bazaar' will be launched, PM Modi announces in Rajya Sabha

9)- 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is becoming a mass movement'

"Cleanliness is becoming a mass movement (Swachhata Jan andolan ban ne ki disha mein ja rahi hai). For the first time Parliament debated on it. Government may be criticised but issue is being discussed. (Hamari Parliament ne swatantrata ke baad kabhi swacchta pe debate nahi kari thi, ab 2-3 ghanta debate hoti hai). Cleanliness helps the poor the most. Due to lack of cleanliness the poor are forced to spend more money on medicines." 

10)- PM recites Nida Fazli's poem

PM Narendra Modi concluded his speech in Rajya Sabha with "Safar Mein Dhoop To Hogi" by Nida Fazli.