Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi on Friday took a dig at the Opposition INDIA bloc over their allegations about the credibility of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), saying their leaders had been silenced due to the "power of democracy" following the declaration of the 2024 Lok Sabha election results.
Addressing a gathering of NDA MPs who elected him as their leader, the Prime Minister-elect said, "I strongly feel people of the INDIA bloc belong to the previous century when they question technological advancements like EVMs and Aadhaar."
"This is the power of India's democracy that those questioning EVMs and the Election Commission were silenced after the results," he said.
He said the Opposition tried to project the results of the Lok Sabha polls as a loss for NDA and asserted that people knew the alliance never lost.
Taking a potshot at the Congress over their electoral performance, Narendra Modi said, "Congress couldn't touch the 100-mark even after 10 years. Their total seats in the last three Lok Sabha polls is fewer than our tally in this election alone."
The NDA secured 293 seats with the BJP alone winning 240 seats, way short of the majority mark of 272 needed to form a government. This was the first time in 10 years that the party lost its majority.
On the other hand, the INDIA bloc, defied exit poll predictions and won 234 seats, with the Congress winning 99 seats, a marked improvement from 52 and 44 constituencies it won in 2019 and 2014, respectively.
Lashing out at the Opposition, Narendra Modi alleged that INDIA bloc leaders tried to abuse the democratic system and create disturbance before election results were announced.
"If you notice the things which happened between June 1 and June 4, statements were being given in a planned way to push the country towards violence. This is very serious. Attempts were made to mislead and divide the people. Election is such festival which connects more and more people, it is not for dividing the people," he said.
Urging the Opposition to participate constructively in Parliament debates, Narendra Modi said he had been missing such debates in the House and hoped that the INDIA bloc will contribute to the cause of nation-building.
Narendra Modi will take oath on June 9 (Sunday) at 6 pm for a record third consecutive time, according to senior BJP leader Pralhad Joshi. Several foreign leaders are expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony.
