PM Modi Says 17th Lok Sabha “Achieved What Generations Waited For”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a special address in Parliament this evening — his last ahead of the general elections — said the 17th Lok Sabha “achieved what generations waited for”.

Addressing the 17 Lok Sabha on the last day of its last session, he said, “These five years were about reform, perform and transform in country… Many reforms, that were game-changers, happened during this year”.

The country is “moving towards a change,” PM Modi said, citing multiple issues from the scrapping of Article 370 and Triple Talaq to hosting the prestigious G20 meet.

The long list, which also included Data protection bill, stringent laws to fight terror, removal of obsolete laws and women’s reservation bill as the achievements of the government — started with the new parliament building and the opening of the parliament library to the public.

“Everyone said we needed a new building. Everyone wanted it, but there was never a decision on it. We decided on it and owing to that we are sitting in the new Parliament today,” PM Modi said.

He also spoke of the focus on marginalised people including transgenders, 17,000 of whom “received identity cards”. “We gave Padma awards to transgenders,” he added.

The high-point, though, was the scrapping of Article 370 that gave Jammu and Kashmir its special status.

“Many generations dreamed of one constitution but this house scrapped Article 370. People who had a role in creating the constitution must be blessing us today.  The people of Kashmir were distant from social justice. Today, we took it to them,” he said.