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PM Modi took a dig at the Opposition over the Constitution and democracy, while highlighting India’s agricultural growth and farmer welfare initiatives.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the Kisan Tak Bharat Agriculture Conference in New Delhi (Photo: PTI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday took an apparent swipe at the Opposition, including Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, accusing some leaders of treating the Constitution and democracy as if they were in their pockets. He said that despite being out of government, they continued to display a peculiar “intoxication of power”.
Addressing the Kisan Tak Bharat Agriculture Conference in New Delhi, PM Modi did not name any political party or leader but said some people believed that the country’s Constitution and democracy belonged to them.
“These days, some people take out the Constitution from their pocket. They think that the nation’s Constitution and its democracy are right there in their pockets,” the Prime Minister said, according to news agency PTI.
“Even while not in government, they seem to be under a peculiar, intoxicating spell of power,” he added.
‘THOSE IN POWER COULD NOT BEAR GUJARAT’S REPUTATION’
Taking a swipe at the Opposition, PM Modi recalled an incident from his tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister, when the state was ranked number one in an assessment of the best-performing states on the economy.
He said the institution that gave Gujarat the top ranking was named after a former Prime Minister, adding that this was “enough of a hint”.
At A Glance
PM Modi took an apparent swipe at the Opposition, saying some leaders treat the Constitution and democracy as if they were in their pockets.
He alleged those out of government continued to have an “intoxication of power”.
Modi recalled Gujarat’s top ranking in an economic assessment, alleging those in power in Delhi could not tolerate its reputation.
According to PM Modi, the ranking was based on research conducted by well-known economists. However, those in power in Delhi at the time “could not bear Gujarat’s reputation” and went after the people who conducted the research.
“These are the same people who preach about martyrdom and democracy. This was a long time ago, and you can find out what happened after this by doing research,” he said.
PM MODI CLAIMS AGRICULTURE GREW OVER 4% IN PAST DECADE
The Prime Minister also highlighted India’s agricultural performance, saying the past decade was the first since Independence in which the sector recorded annual growth of more than 4 per cent.
Citing a World Bank report, PM Modi said 50 crore people in India had overcome poverty in 12-13 years, with poverty declining fastest in villages. He added that many small farmers had come out of poverty during this period.
Calling agriculture the country’s culture, tradition and the foundation of social life, PM Modi said a developed India could not be achieved without making farming smarter and farmers self-reliant.
Taking a dig at previous governments, he said those who had governed the country for decades were satisfied with farmers filling grain stores, despite changes in markets, technology, weather conditions and food habits.
“It is not enough to fill the grain stores,” he said, stressing the need to equip farmers with new skills to keep pace with changing requirements.
RS 16 LAKH CRORE SPENT ON FERTILISER SUPPORT
Highlighting measures to reduce farmers’ input costs, PM Modi said the Centre had spent Rs 16 lakh crore on fertiliser support over the past 12 years.
He said that despite the war in West Asia, a 50-kg bag of Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP), which costs around Rs 5,000 in the international market, was being provided to Indian farmers for Rs 1,300.
Referring to the rise in crude oil prices from USD 70 to USD 122 per barrel within weeks, PM Modi said diesel prices would have had to increase by around Rs 50 per litre.
However, the government decided to raise prices by only Rs 7 per litre, absorbing the remaining Rs 43, he said.
The Centre was bearing a burden of around Rs 14,000 crore every month as a result, according to the Prime Minister. He added that diesel prices in neighbouring countries had increased by 40-50 per cent.
INDIA EXPORTS FARM PRODUCE WORTH OVER RS 4 LAKH CRORE
Listing India’s agricultural achievements, PM Modi said the country exports farm produce worth more than Rs 4 lakh crore annually.
He said India was the world’s largest producer of milk, pulses, jute, rice, wheat, cotton, fruits and vegetables, fish and millets.
Milk production had increased by 70 per cent over the past decade, while egg production had risen by 90 per cent and fish production had more than doubled, he said.
Honey production grew from 80,000 tonnes to 1.5 lakh tonnes, while horticulture output increased from around 280 million tonnes to over 350 million tonnes.
Quick Answers
Ask News18Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, of displaying an intoxication of power and treating the country’s Constitution and democracy as though they were kept in their pockets.
Ask News18About the Author
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has more than 10 years of experience in national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
November 12, 2026, 11:37 PM IST
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