Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday broke his silence on the Manipur violence and assured the people that peace will return to the state. The Prime Minister’s remarks, the first since violence broke out in the state on May 3, came during a debate on the no-confidence motion moved in the Lok Sabha by the Opposition.

“The situation following a court verdict in Manipur led to the violence. Several families faced difficulties, Many lost their own. Grave crimes were committed against women. These offences are unpardonable. The central and state government are making all efforts to bring all guilty to book. I would like to assure all citizens of the country that in the manner in which the efforts are underway, an era of peace will definitely return in Manipur. Manipur will forge ahead with renewed self-confidence once more,” the Prime Minister said.

LIVE Updates from PM Modi’s speech in Parliament

The Prime Minister also ripped into the Opposition during his address in the Lok Sabha. PM Modi said that the government has made every effort to fulfill every responsibility that the people of the country have given them in 2019 with a bigger mandate than in 2014.

Stating that he was in Parliament to express his gratitude to the crores of people who have reposed their faith in the NDA government, the Prime Minister exuded confidence in the Bharatiya Janata Party-led alliance returning to power in the Lok Sabha elections next year with an even bigger majority.

“God is extremely kind and tends to communicate through some medium… I believe that it’s His blessing that the Opposition has brought this motion,” he said in a swipe at the Opposition. Referring to his 2018 prediction that the Opposition would bring a no-confidence motion again ahead of the 2014 polls, the Prime Minister said that the no-trust votes have only acted as good omen for the NDA. “I can assure you that when you bring the next no-trust vote in 2028, India will be the third-largest economy of the world.”

“In a way, the Opposition’s no-confidence motion has always been lucky for us. Today, I can see that you (Opposition) have decided that NDA and BJP will come back in 2024 elections with a grand victory, breaking all previous records, with the blessings of the people,” PM Modi said.

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Taking a swipe at the Congress, the Prime Minister wondered why the party had refused to accommodate its own Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in the Opposition’s list of speakers for the no-confidence motion. “His party didn’t give him the opportunity to speak…Why has Adhir babu been sidelined? But he knows how to spoil an opportunity…I don’t know what your compulsion is… Congress insults him again and again…Hum Adhir babu ke prati apni poori samvedna vyakt karte hain… (Our condolences are with you),” the PM said.

Juxtaposing India’s progress under his government to the UPA rule, PM Modi cited Niti Ayog data to claim that poverty in India was on a rapid decline. “Today, poverty is reducing rapidly in the country. As many as 13.5 crore people have been pulled out of poverty,” the PM said. “India’s startups, investments and exports are scaling new heights today.”

The Prime Minister further said that he has tried to fulfil every responsibility that the people of the country have given to the government. “We have given our professionals wings of opportunities, and our youngsters, a corruption-free government.”

Stating that the Opposition is more worried about its own existence and lust for power than the people of the country, the PM rued that the NDA’s rival parties refused to discuss important Bills that were deeply linked to the people’s lives. “When we say that we will make our economy the third largest economy in the next 5 years, a responsible Opposition would have asked questions as to how will we do it but I have to teach them this too.”

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Claiming that anything that the Opposition criticises or opposes turns to gold. “Ek udaharan aapke saamne khada hai (One example is right before you),” he said, adding that everything from LIC to HAL that the Opposition “spoke against” went on to prosper.

In a swipe at the Opposition renaming its alliance to I.N.D.I.A, the Prime Minister said that his condolences are with the Opposition. “You have laid the UPA to rest in Bengaluru. While my condolences are with you, I could never understand why you were also celebrating,” he said.

“Their trouble is such that they had to take the support of NDA to keep themselves alive. But, out of habit, the arrogance of ‘I’ doesn’t leave them alone. That is why, they inserted two ‘I’s of arrogance in NDA. First ‘I’ – the arrogance of 26 parties and the second ‘I’ – the arrogance of one family. They stole NDA too. They also broke India – I.N.D.I.A.,” the PM said.

The Prime Minister further said that the continuity of planning and hard work will go on. “There will be new reforms to it as per the need and all the efforts will be made for performance. We will be the third-largest economy. The country trusts that when you bring the No Confidence Motion in 2028, the country would be among the top three nations of the world.”