Nehru thought Indians were lazy, of low intelligence: PM Modi
New Delhi, Feb 5: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday made repeated attacks on India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru during his speech in the Lok Sabha, claiming that the Congress leader thought Indians were lazy and of low intelligence.
Modi's nearly 100-minute speech was laced with sharp attacks on the Congress and the Gandhi family, and he said the party "never trusted India's potential".
"The Congress got stuck in one family. They could never see and would never be able to see people's aspirations and achievements. The Congress never trusted India's potential. They always considered themselves rulers and belittled people," Modi said while replying to the debate in the Lok Sabha on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address.
Quoting an Independence Day speech by Nehru from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Modi said, "Nehru had said 'we do not work as hard the Europeans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians or the Americans. Do not think that these communities became prosperous by some magic. They have achieved this by hardwork and smartness'."
"He (Nehru) is giving a certificate to those people to belittle Indians. This shows that Nehru ji's thinking about Indians was that they are lazy and of low intelligence. He did not trust their potential," the prime minister said.
Former prime minister Indira Gandhi did not think differently either, Modi said.
"Indira ji had said from (the ramparts of) Red Fort, 'Unfortunately, it is our habit that when a good work is approaching completion, we become complacent. And when an obstacle comes, we lose hope. Sometimes it seems the whole nation has accepted defeat'. Looking at Congress people today, it appears that Indira ji may not have been able to assess the people of the country correctly, but she had done an exact evaluation of the Congress," he said.
This was the thinking of the "royal family" of the Congress about Indians, he said.
The same thinking is visible today also, Modi said, adding that he has immense faith in the ability of the country and its people.
Hitting back at Prime Minister Modi over his criticism of Nehru, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor later said, "Poor Nehru ji has gone since 60 years, and he continues the same lament about Nehru ji. We are flattered that he is so worried about us that he has devoted his entire speech towards the Congress."
Talking about price rise, Modi again lashed out at Nehru and Indira Gandhi, and said history is witness that when the Congress comes, it brings price rise with it.
He quoted Nehru as saying that "there are problems because prices of all things have gone up and the common people are caught up in it"
"After 10 years of this statement, Indira Gandhi said, 'You are facing problems due to price rise...," Modi said.
The prime minister said his government has reined-in inflation despite two wars and the Covid pandemic.
He again attacked Nehru when talking about Kashmir and said the Congress leader's thinking was the root cause of the problems that Kashmir and the country had to face.
The people of Kashmir and of the country had to suffer because of Nehru's mistakes, Modi said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
