It wasn’t the Modi of the Lok Sabha campaign beamed across televisions nationwide on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened his arms with the grace of a victor as he reached out to the Opposition in his reply to President Pranab Mukherjee’s address to the joint session of parliament on Monday.

“After the elections, we all are the custodian of the hopes and aspirations of the people,” Modi said in the Lok Sabha in a speech that echoed the statesmanship of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, his party’s only other prime minister.

 “Victory teaches us a lot of lessons. It teaches us humility… It is my earnest hope that we will get the power to fight arrogance,” Modi said.

The prime minister said he welcomed criticism, and that he would work to take everybody along.

 “I don’t want to move ahead without you. We will incorporate your suggestions. The views expressed by the 50 members (during the debate) represent the aspirations of the 125 crore people,” he said.

 The imagery evoked by Modi was direct. Referring to the malaise of corruption and his government’s resolve to eradicate it, he said later in his speech to the Rajya Sabha that the entry of bad governance in administration is “like a body afflicted with diabetes. It can destroy whole system”.

Noting that the country has earned the image of “Scam India” in the world, he said: “The confidence has been lost, which needs to be restored. The confidence should not be broken. It is a big challenge, but we can do it if we sit together. We will convert the image from scam-India to skills India.”

Praises for Didi

 Poll foes became partners as Modi praised both Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Referring to a member’s statement that Tamil Nadu model was better than Gujarat’s, he said this feeling of competition has been the biggest contribution of the Gujarat model.

He appreciated Tamil Nadu for its rainwater harvesting initiatives, Chhattisgarh for its public distribution system, Kerala for its ‘kudumbashree’ model and Nagaland for tribal development.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee came in for praise for her development work in the state.

“My sister Mamata Banerjee is working really hard to undo the damage done in the past 35 years in West Bengal,” Modi said.

 While Modi reiterated his pre-poll promises like uplift of the poor, controlling price rise, developing agriculture and agro-industry, skill development among youths, sanitation and a better coordinated federal system, he introduced new concepts like ‘shramev jayate’ or dignity of labour, changing the country’s image from “Scam India to Skill India”, cooperative federalism.

He invoked Mahatma Gandhi while proposing a new definition of development, and urged the members to present a clean India (Swachcha Bharat) when the nation celebrates the Mahatma’s 150th birth anniversary in 2019.

“Mahatma Gandhi converted the struggle for Independence into a mass movement. Why can’t we do the same for development?” he said

  Women’s security

 Noting that women constitute half of India’s population, the prime minister said they need to become partners in decision-making and made to feel secure.

Referring to the recent crimes against women that have inflamed the public imagination, the prime minister said these incidents must force all of us to introspect, and corrective measures must be taken.

“The country will not wait for long – our conscience too will not forgive us if we do not act,” he said.

Modi went on to  ask political leaders to refrain from “psycho-analysis of rape”.

“I appeal to our political leaders that we should not carry out psychological analysis of rape… Is it correct to make a statement always? While can’t we just keep quiet. Respect and security for women should be the topmost priority of the entire people,” Modi said.

Modi addressed his “Musalman Bhai” too.

 In his first reaction to the hate-killing of a techie in Pune last week, Modi said his government would work for the development of Muslims.

“I believe if one organ of the body remains weak, the body cannot be termed as healthy. We are committed to this. We don’t see it as appeasement.”

Modi’s speech was no non-stop declamation. There were tongue-in-cheek moments too.

Congress leader Amarinder Singh, who had earlier in the day said that almost all programmes of the new government were “old wine in a new bottle,” was at the receiving end first.

 “Unko sharab yaad aana swabhavik hai (It is natural for him to remember liquor)”, Modi said without taking the name of the Congress leader.

 Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge got the epic treatment next when Modi replied to his Kaurava-Pandava jibe by saying that the time of Mahabharata is over.

“There are no Kauravas or Pandavas (now),” he remarked, adding in a joke aimed at the inaction of the Congress-led UPA that even though Duryodhana knew dharma, he always admitted that it was not in his DNA to act accordingly.

Basic amenities

The PM urged all MPs to resolve to ensure that every family has a house, with basic amenities of water, power and sanitation, when India celebrates its 75th Independence anniversary in 2022.

 Pointing out the common man’s faith in the country’s democratic traditions, Modi described it as worth showcasing to the entire world, noting at the same time that India had more voters than the populations of USA and Europe combined.

Highlighting the need to pull millions out of poverty, the prime minister stressed education among the marginalised sections of society.

 “If the government will not pay heed to the needs of the poor, the people would never forgive it,” he said

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