Accusing the Congress of playing vote bank politics and trying to push people back into poverty in the country, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on Thursday alleged that the leaders of the grand old party were openly talking about giving free cylinders to Rohingyas and Bangladeshis.

Addressing elections rallies at Kharghar in Navi Mumbai, Modi sharpened his attack against the Congress by bringing in Rohingyas and Bangladeshis in electoral debate in Maharashtra.

Modi, who is still in the Jharkhand Assembly poll mode, said: "On one hand the Congress is questioning us on providing free ration to the poor, while on the other one of the Congress leaders from Jharkhand has gone to town announcing to give free cylinders to Hindus, Muslims and infiltrators too. If anything, the Congress leaders are openly talking about giving free cylinders to Rohingyas and Bangladeshis".

"By speaking about giving free cylinders to Rohingyas and Bangladeshis, the Congress is playing with the future of the country as well as your children to get votes. Don't forget that the Congress is the pioneer of vote bank politics and it is the enemy of the poor," Modi said.

"The Congress asks why 25 crore people, who have come out of poverty, are getting free ration. That means that the Congress wants the expenditures of these people to go up so that they will go back into poverty. If the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) people get a chance, they will do the same in Maharashtra," the Prime Minister said.

Charging that the Congress governments did not want the poor to come forward, Modi said, "No wonder the Congress vehemently opposes every welfare scheme for the poor. That is why my poor man has not come out of the difficulties of life. Even after 70 years of independence, most of the people in the country are struggling to get food, clothing and shelter".

Alluding to "garibi hatao" slogan coined by late Mrs Indira Gandhi in her 1971 election campaign, Modi said, "The Congress has always worked on the agenda of keeping the poor poor. These people (Congress) have - for generations after generations -- been mouthing the false slogan of eradicating poverty. But actually in the name of the slogan of eradicating poverty, the Congress has been looting the poor".

Talking about achievements of the BJP-led MahaYuti government, Modi said that Maharashtra would become the most important growth engine of developed India

"Your entire belt of Panvel-Raigad is rich in marine wealth. We are empowering the coastal economy and working for our fisherman brothers and sisters.Our first priority is the development of the Maharashtra MahaYurti government. We are working towards ensuring a bright future for Maharashtra. We have done so many things that the previous governments had failed to do," Modi said, as he exhorted the people to re-elect the BJP-led MahaYuti government.

Earlier, speaking at a rally at Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (erstwhile Aurangabad), Modi charged that the Congress and the MVA had failed to rename after Marath king Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.

"It was only after the  MahaYuti government came to power in the state that we renamed Aurangabad as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar… In this election, on one side there are patriots who are believers of Sambhaji Maharaj, while on the other, there are people heap praise on Aurangzeb".

Modi said that by renaming Aurangabad as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, the BJP-led MahaYuti government had fulfilled late Bal Thackeray's wish. "The Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government was in power for 2.5 years. But, it did not have the courage to rename Auragabad, all because it was under the Congress' pressure. On the other hand, the MahaYuti government renamed the city as soon as it came to power. We fulfilled your wish and also we fulfilled late Balasaheb Thackeray's wish," Modi said.

Harping on how the Congress was opposed to ensuring the progress of   Dalits, backward classes and tribals, Modi said: "The Congress stops Dalits, backward classes and tribals from progressing so that they can retain power from generation to generation. That is why Congress has been against reservations right from the day one"

"The Congress leaders used to say that reservations were against the country. …The mentality and agenda of the Congress has remained unchanged. They can never  come to terms with the fact that an OBC has been the PM in the country for the last 10 years," Modi said.