It is Sultanate vs Samvidhan in LS polls, says Modi 

Asserting that the country needs a “mazboot sarkar” and not a “majboor sarkar” that compromises on national interests, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hit hard at the Congress for seeing itself above country’s institutions even as its top leaders were on bail for various offences.

In contrast, he outlined how despite his own “persistent persecution” during the UPA rule he never banned the CBI from Gujarat as the Chief Minister and showed no disrespect to the due process of law deposing even before an SIT for a 9-hour-long questioning of him.

But, he pointed out how the Congress-led Opposition banned the CBI in three States as it is fearful of the agency’s probe outcome.

In a free-wheeling speech at the concluding day of the BJP’s National Council meet here, Modi also sought to knock the bottom of what, he said, went in the name of “mahagathbandan” saying parties who owe their existence to anti-Congressism are trying to rally around the Congress without having any common ideology or voter base. And against the backdrop of the formal announcement of the SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh, leader after leader at the Council also sought to target it as a case of “sheer opportunism” between two arch-rivals.

Modi said Opposition parties are coming together as they want to form a ‘majboor’ (helpless) Government to promote nepotism and corruption, whereas the BJP wants a strong dispensation for all-round development. Modi said a reflection of “majboor” governments has come from the Opposition-led dispensations in different States, including Karnataka.

The Congress and the Opposition is trying to piece together a “majboor sarkar” at the Centre so that they could take commission in the defence purchases, do bungling in farmers’ fund or engage in other corrupt practices, he charged.

He said the 2019 Lok Sabha poll is a battle between ‘Sultanate aur Samvidhan’ — the dynast and followers of the Constitution.

Modi pointed to the “loot” during the Congress rule and referred to its top leadership (Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi) being on bail in the National Herald case to ask: “Can we give the reigns of  the country to such people? Can they be trusted?”

Describing the Congress leadership as “ye zamanati leaders” (leaders on bail), Modi asked what kind of “pradhan sevak”  the country needs - the one who conspires and is a thief or the one who is honest and hard working ?. “Let the country decide,” he said.

Addressing  the last Council meeting before the Lok Sabha poll, the Prime Minister tore into the Congress and its allies  saying  the Opposition parties  have  always been opposing the progressive measures of his Government and cited examples of legislations on triple-talaq, rendering constitutional status to OBC body, National Register for Citizenship, legal status to Aadhaar and enactment of Enemy Property Act and other policy issues. 

He said the Bill to give 10 per cent reservation in jobs and education to the general category poor will boost the “self-confidence of new India” and allayed fears of tinkering with the existing quota policy for SCs, STs and OBCs. He asked party workers to foil any conspiracy against it.

In the same breath, Modi said it was the Congress which sought to put spokes  in the progress of Ram Mandir trial in the apex court (by asking that it be heard after Lok Sabha poll)  “Ye hamein bhoolna nahin chahiye, bhoolna dena bhi nahin hain,” he said amidst cheering of delegates in the council. He said the Congress also made a move of impeachment against the last Chief Justice of India.

“They do not care for institutions be it the Reserve bank of India, the Supreme Court, probe agencies or foreign ministry”, the Prime Minister alleged saying the Congress leaders were only happy to gang up with “ tukre tukre” gang.,

The highlight of PM’s speech, however, was that perhaps for the first time, he publicly spoke about what he called his own persecution by the UPA Government at the Centre when he was Gujarat Chief Minister.  In 2007, Modi  said, a leader came to Gujarat and announced that he should get ready to be jailed. He said while Amit Shah was even jailed he, himself faced the SIT and was questioned for nine hours.

All this, the Prime Minister said did not prompt him as Gujarat CM to ban CBI from his State as has been done by States run by the Opposition parties including West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

He asked delegates to work on their booth level saying “meri booth sabse majboot’ should be the winning mantra of all party workers.