Mohd Salim while speaking on the no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha

On July 20, there was discussion in the Lok Sabha on the no-confidence motion. Participating in the discussion Mohd Salim said “ the council of ministers lack confidence of this house”. When the discussion began in the morning this confidence further fell. The reason for that is that when the leader of the ruling party stood instead of focusing on the issues went to touch upon Madhya Pradesh. The council of ministers should have been defended, which was not done by their leader.

Rajnath Singh the Home Minister is here, I wish for his stay in power. It has been four years since your government assumed office (2014-18). To win the elections you had released a manifesto. I mentioned your (Rajnath Singh) name because the other three pictures in the BJP manifesto have entered the advisory board of the government than to be in ministry. Vajpayee ji, Advaniji and Murli Manohar Joshi ji all are in the advisory category. At that time your name was in the third place. But you are still here and I wish that you continue.

No body is showing the path to the government.  Even the advisory board of the party is unable to see a future path for the government. In case you are able to find a path only then will you call the meeting of the council of ministers. Somewhere down the line this path has been lost because the promises that you had made have been forgotten.

Through this motion we want to know from the government after all what happened to your promises (quoting from a hindi song kya hua tera vada). Becaue still there is a year left and hence the promises made have to be implemented (again quoting from a hindi song- vada kiya to nibhana padega). For that one does not require anger, anguish or animosity towards anybody.

I am not reading the entire manifesto. There is a mention about black money in the English version of the copy which states, “ the process of bringing black money to India, what belongs to India , will be put on motion on priority”.

Now you just forget about bringing black money back to India . In the last one year the money transfer from our country to Swiss and other banks in foreign countries has increase by 50 percent. The ruling party i.e. you when in opposition you used to scream that black money is going out from the country now with the change you have changed the dialogue as well. Now you are saying the money that has reached the foreign banks in white whereas the money left in India is black. Hence there was demonitisation !

You have changed from “homeland to foreign friends”.  Earlier you used to say

I am speaking about the path because you had promised the people to provide 2 crore jobs in a year. But the labour statistics has punctured your claims. You have a strange desire. You give advertisements and make digital India as a publicity event.

The PM says that we have provided jobs but we do not have the data. The Finance Minister says that we have been able to catch the black money but we do not have the data. You declared demonitisation but how many notes were in currency and how many have come back –you do not have the data.

Digital India is not just about ‘Man ki Baat’ (the Prime ministers programme on radio) and video conferencing.  We champion ourselves to be a world power in software. You are giving advertisements in digital India and screaming Jio- Jio. During demonitisation you had exclaimed that everything would be cashless.

Today there is more currency in the market than it was during demonitisation. At that time the papers were carrying advertisements, you were also saying that the Pan shop, coffee canteen in the Parliament, etc., everything will become digital and cashless. You should tell us after all in the last three-four years what has changed.

Recently the football worldcup got over. One of the leading national dailies showed a picture of our PM scoring a goal. I am talking about the world cup won by France, not about the Rafael deal. You make speeches that so many goals have been achieved. But the reality is that you have the goalpost in your hands. The PM kicks and the goalpost is taken where the shot is taken.

When surgical strike is done then you show look we have finished the enemy. When demonitisation is done then you say that look we have finished the black money. Counterfeit/ fake currency is finished. Corruption has ended. Our BJP members of parliament have this habit that when we want to discuss surgical strike, demonitisation, Doklam, unemployment or the suicides by the kisans ; they (BJP MPs) create ruckus in the house.

We saw this in the morning. Since the last two sessions we were about to bring in a no-confidence motion but were not allowed to do that. Why ? what was the hurdle ? why was the house adjourned during that time ? If you have the numbers then what is the worry. Let milk be separated from water.

The government has been trumpeting that they have been able to what did not happen in the last 70 years. In the next moment they say that in the last 70 years the country was destroyed. Whatever destruction of the nation was done in 70 years we could do in 4 years. At one point of time you say that nothing happened in the last 70 years. In the congress rule of 40-48 years and their opposition parties rule nothing happened. But then you say whatever they could do in 70 years we have been able to do in just 4 years. If they were taking the country to a path of destruction then you could have reversed that path but you have followed the same path.

When you are charged with corruption then you say that it happened in the previous governments  time. When we charge you that you have bought the aeroplanes at a higher price then you hide the facts. But when you wash your dirty linen on the road then we come to know about your reality. Else everything was done under the table.

Your government played the worst economic gamble by declaring demonitisation. We could not achieve anything. When we ask for figures you say you do not have the data. The currency that was available with the public till May 2018 was Rs 18578 billion . before the demonitisation in Novermber 2016 this figure was Rs 17,564 billion.

You through your advertisements claim about cashless whereas you have increased Rs 1000 billion more currency in the market. You are saying something else and doing something else. Something different in the mouth, announcement, advertisement and reality. Looking at your advertisement and PIB handnotes,  you thing that you have achieved big milestones. But to face the reality you will have to go to the kisans. Blood is oozing out of the feet of the Maharashtra kisans who walked hundreds of miles , you cannot close your eyes to that.

The kisans are there in your areas as well. What is the income of the kisan today? What is the condition of the agricultural labour ? The condition of farming in the country is precarious today be it because of absence of irrigation, natural disasters or otherwise the people are not getting work throughout the year, in fact the work days have reduced.

Most of the people involved in agricultural operation do not own land. Hence they are forced to work in the unorganized sector and work as workers. Today because of GST and demonitisation this area has been worst hit.

You should know the condition of the migrant workers. In the period 2004-14 either because of mNREGA or because of some other reasons there was some increase in the incomes of this category. But there has been no increase since 2014-18.

Today price of essential commodities is increasing. The prices of items like clothing, eateries, medicine, health, education -all have increased substantially. You can be happy that the Jio model of centre of eminence will increase. The government was convinced with the powerful presentation of Jio and hence will now give Rs 1000 crore to it.

When we have to construct a school we have to search for land, show that a building has been constructed, need to show the strength of teachers, then we get recognition for the school. For whom is the government working today ? so many formalities have to be completed to open a school in a village. Without showing anything we cannot get Rs 1000 crore from the government.

We can understand the centre of eminence status to BITS Pilani and IIts of Delhi and Mumbai. I thing the advertisement was in that direction. You have flushed Rs 1000 crore. You have named a child who has not even born yet. This is how the rules are broken by your government.

The moot question is for whom is the government working and serving the interests? Look at the condition of education and employment. The economic condition of the common people is deteriorating . you are implementing the neo liberal policies with greater vigour.  This is our experience.

You came on the name of Swadeshi but you are privatizing the government sector one by one including the Defence production. Railways is also being privatized and even 100 percent FDI is being allowed. Earlier you protested on the streets against this now there is a ‘you’ turn .

Your were supposed to arrest the farmers suicides. Your were supposed to protect the poor, dalit, tribal, women, minorities, backward communities, downtrodden and those in the last ladder. They were to be secured economically socially and with educational help. But today elders and pensioners are also disturbed and worried. Their pension policies have been changed. You are excluding people from the pension benefit. There is no increase in their pension.

Our life expectancy is increasing but there is no effort from your government to look at the needs of their livelihood. What are you doing ?

 Today there is an increase in the wealth in the country but which is being concentrated in a few hands. Just 1 percent of people control 73 percent of the wealth. Just to protect this top 1 percent you are dividing the people and telling them that your enemy is this or that. He does not eat like you. He does not speak like you. He does not wear like you. He does not worship like you do. He does not go to a temple, masjid and church like yours. All of them are each other’s enemies. This is what you are preaching.  

What kind of Nationalism are you preaching ? Patriotism is the image of nationalism. During the independence movement we have seen that one who spoke about unity of the people was considered a patriot /nationalist and those who were for disunity were termed as anti-national.

You are saying that in JNU, Hyderabad university, AMU, Delhi university you will have to find who are terrorists and anti-national. Today the threat of terrorism is increasing. The soldiers are dying on the borders. You had formed a government with PDP in Kashmir.

As he spoke about Kashmir there was disruption in the house. His speech continued in the disruption. He further said.

I am talking about some useful work. You must listen. There are certain things which are beyond your scope, you do not try to follow that. The issue is linear. You have vanit of power but you stand by. We will raise the real issues of the people. This is our decision.

You should be ashamed but you are not. We are, when a foreign magazine publishes a report that women are not safe in our country. We get tense. Does it not increase your tension ?

A nation which politically, democratically be it any country of the world is unable to protect its women, minorities, dalits etc., has no right to call itself a civilized country.

You got flared up as I raised the Kashmir issue. You kept on promising that you will rehabilitate the Kashmiri pandits. But you have forgotten them. You formed the government with Mehbooba Mufti. Now before the elections you once again started hopping here and there. Now you are indicting them (PDP). In this way you have abetted and supported the terrorist elements and anti-democratic elements for your political benefits from Tripura to Kashmir. The people have realized that they are caught in the hands of a big Jumlebaaz a magician.

Regarding corruption in co-operative bank, I myself had written to Arun Jaitley. He started politicizing it. The largest scam has taken place in their co-operative bank. You did not investigate. If you have the courage investigate it. Truth can never be burnt by fire. I am asking for an investigation .

When issues of mob lynching and intolerance were debated in the house we were reminding the government to intervene. The day Mohsin Sheikh was killed in Pune the silence of the government gave more courage to the perpetrators. See today what is happening in Latehar, Jharkhan. Who is protecting such heinous perpetrators.  Do you not know ? Are you not ashamed ? The people who sit besides you, mob lynchers, you garland them!

We are ashamed in this house to sit with those who support such criminals. Do not support the law. If this country is to be protected then law and order has to be enforced.