Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday lashed out at his critics and rivals in his Independence Day address from Delhi's Red Fort. He described them as "full of negativity" and said "some people do not want India to progress".
"People need to understand that some people with a negative mindset are conspiring to create imbalance in the country. Nepotism and casteism are harming society... We have to eliminate them from politics," the prime minister said. The prime minister's comments are seen as sharp attacks against the Congress.
The prime minister and his party BJP often attack the Congress and its 'first family' - the Gandhi family - over "dynastic politics", alleging that the party and the family have nothing to do with the country's interests.
In his speech today, the prime minister also lashed out at the issue of corruption, saying, "I want to instill fear in the minds of corrupt people so that the practice of looting the common man ends."
Last month, when the BJP won power for the third consecutive term at the Centre thanks to the seats of allies - as the party itself fell 32 seats short of a majority - the Prime Minister vowed to continue his campaign against corruption and said central agencies had been given "complete freedom".
The Prime Minister's scathing attack comes after the first Parliament session of his third term saw clashes between the government and the Opposition over issues such as the Waqf bill, rising inflation, and most recently, wrestler Vinesh Phogat's disqualification from the Paris Olympics. The political crisis in Bangladesh also added to the tension.
However, the biggest confrontation was over the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, which the Congress described as a copy of its manifesto.
