Poor consider PM Modi as their messiah, says BJP lawmaker

New Delhi, Feb 8 Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker Arun Singh on Tuesday said in the Rajya Sabha that the poor consider Prime Minister Narendra Modi as their 'messiah' because when the lockdown was implemented, the first announcement was made to give foodgrains to the poor free of cost during the pandemic time.

Participating in the debate on the Union Budget 2022-23 in the Upper House, he said that the MGNREGA budget was also increased under this government, when compared to the budget under the Congress government.

"Under the Congress government, the poor did not have pucca houses. Today under PM Awas Yojna, the government gave around Rs 1.5 lakh to each person, and over two crore houses have already been created," Singh claimed.

Referring to the supply of drinking water through taps, he said that PM Modi started the Jal Jeevan Mission. "If our citizens are unhealthy, then how will the country develop? Even in this budget, the government has allocated Rs 60, 000 crore for the "Nal se Jal'(drinking water from tap).

Responding to the Air India comment by Congress MP Chidambaram, he asked who was responsible for this state of Air India.

Former Prime Minister and JD(U) MP HD Deve Gowda while speaking during the debate said that Karnataka is one of the states that will suffer when the linking of rivers project will be implemented in the Cauvery and Krishna basins.

DMK MP Mohamed Abdulla while debating on the Union Budget, said that the government sold off Air India, LIC, but fortunately they let this House remain, I have a chance to stand here today, he said during his maiden speech.

"The vision for India at 100 was nothing but the same thing repackaged, same line repeated in Budgets by the Finance Ministers in last seven years while the much hyped 'doubling of farmers income by 2022' did not find any mention in the Budget document,", Abdullah charged.

Referring to the three farm laws which had been withdrawn, the DMK lawmaker said that one of the government's allies, Shiromani Akali Dal was forced to walk out because of these three farm laws.

"They have blood on their hands, hundreds of farmers died opposing the farm laws. They are inaccessible, not only to public, but also to elected representatives," he added.