Pratap Sarangi nails the opposition in his first speech in the parliament

In his maiden speech in the Lok Sabha, Balasore Member of Parliament and Union Minister of State for Animal Husbandry, Pratap Chandra Sarangi made the opposition camp to turn in their seats while the treasury benches were left in splits. In his speech which was delivered partly in Hindi, Sanskrit, Bangla, Odiya, and English, Odisha firebrand leader took a dig at the opposition camp while listing out the achievements of Narendra Modi government over past few years. 

Taking a firm stand on the conduct of Samajwadi Party MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq, who had objected to ‘Vande Mataram’ slogan while taking oath, Pratap Sarangi asked if those who “refuse to say Vande Mataram have a right to live in India”.

Sarangi said, “Jinko humara priya pawan bhoomi se pyaar nahi, jinko Bharat ki azaadi aur akhandata sweekar nahi, jinko Bharat ki ‘vande mataram’ sweekar nahi, kya unko Bharat mai rehne ka adhikar hai (Those who do not love our country, those who do not accept the country’s integrity, those who do not accept ‘Vande Mataram’, do they deserve to live in India).” Shafiqur Rahman Barq had earlier courted controversy in 2013 as he walked out of Parliament at the time of “Vande Mataram”. He had faced criticism from all sides.

Pratap Sarangi also took aim at the Congress and said that the last two terms of the UPA government were “full of corruption”. Without taking the name of the ex-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Balasore MP also said that the Prime Minister in the last UPA government was an ‘accidental prime minister’. He also pointed out the rampant policy standstill during the UPA era and said, “Policy paralysis was a new norm during those ten years. And it was Congress which made us realise the importance of strong leadership.”

Citing the massive verdict given by the nation to the NDA, Sarangi advised the Congress to accept their defeat and the good work done by the Modi administration. Taking a jibe at the Nehru-Gandhi-Vadra family, he said the mandate shows that the nation does not like ‘dynasty’.

“Why is the Opposition so hesitant in praising Prime Minister? The verdict was unprecedented. The BJP-led NDA came back to power on the basis of performance. The experiment of 2014 was a success and people gave the slogan [of return of Modi-led government]. Son of a tea-seller has become Prime Minister, why don’t you accept it? At least understand now that people do not like a dynasty,” he said in the parliament.

Pratap Sarangi also called out the ‘tukde tukde’ gang in his maiden speech and said that there is no place for ‘tukde tukde’ gang in the country. “The country will never accept tukde-tukde gang. The country is with the prime minister,” he said.

The Balasore MP also said that the country will not tolerate the “tukde-tukde” gang and those who glorify terrorists like Afzal Guru. “‘Pakistan zindabad’, ‘Afzal Guru zindabad’, ‘hum sharminda hai Afzal tera qatil zinda hai’, ye kehne waalo ko desh mai rehne ka adhikar hai,” Pratap Chandra Sarangi asked.

Loaded with quotes from Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Rigveda, Adi Shankracharya and Tulsidas, this fiery speech by Pratap Sarangi is a good indication of the action we are expected to witness in the 17th Lok Sabha. Coming from a humble background, Pratap Sarangi had to face desperate denigrating attempts from the left-liberal nexus, however, this diligent and strong speech is sure to echo in the chambers of the left-liberal nexus for long.