The partition happened due to the wrong policies of the Congress party, said prime minister Narendra Modi who called for building a new India.

In the reply to the Motion of Thanks to the president’s address, Modi on Wednesday said that not a single day has passed when the country has not suffered due to poison sowed by you.

"You divided India keeping elections in mind. You closed parliament's doors without heeding the people's wishes, the seeds you sowed at that time, its ramifications are being felt to this day," he said in the Lok Sabha.

He said that democracy "is in the blood of Indians" and cited the golden age of Lichchavi rule in eastern India and of Kannada social reformer Basava's teachings.

The prime minister added that had Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel been the first prime minister, a part of Kashmir would not have been under the control of Pakistan.

"We have to create a new India. Let us work together to fulfil the dreams of the people," he said even as the opposition chanted slogans.

"The workings of our previous government are responsible for the NPA mess. They are 100 percent responsible and nobody else. The banking policies of the previous governments were not proper. Middlemen were happy, the country was suffering.

"I have to tell the entire nation about the NPA mess our previous government created."

He went on to say that the government's efforts to eliminate corruption and black money are hurting a select group of people.

“Today, people who served as chief ministers are in jail. However powerful one was, if one has been corrupt, that person will be punished. We are in an era of honesty.”

"India's middle class desires good education facilities, affordable housing, good infrastructure. They want 'Ease of Living' which we are committed to providing," he added.

On the farm sector, the prime minister said that people are making politics over the plight of farmers. "The farm produce goes waste due to lack of proper supply-chain management. We are strengthening this sector in addition to food processing sector," he added.

"Even today, 20 crore people are living without electricity. We have made progress in electrification but we have miles to go."