Projecting indirectly himself as a “strong Prime Minister who can take tough and big decisions to make India strong” and “who wants to create a foundation that will “accelerate India’s dream for 2047”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday once again attacked the Opposition Congress for indulging in “religion-based” politics and charged that it believed in allocating 15 per cent of the government budget exclusively to the minorities. 

Countering the narratives put forth by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal last week, Modi — speaking at rallies that  he addressed at Dindori and Kalyan in Maharashtra — said:,”We draw inspiration from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj…This election is not just about choosing MPs, but about choosing a PM….a  PM who can take tough and big decisions to make India strong.. You remember how India addressed the Corona crisis and defeated the pandemic”.

“I want to create a foundation which will accelerate our dream for 2047. My mantra is to turn your aspirations into my resolve. And I dedicate every second of my life to realise those aspirations....24x7 for 2047,” Modi said, amidst thunderous applause and shouts of “Modi-Modi-Modi” and “fir ek baar…Modi-sarkaar”.

Modi’s assertion that the “country needs a strong Prime Minister who can take tough and big decisions to make India strong” should be seen in the context of  Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi’s statement that Rahul Gandhi was the “real challenger” to Prime Minister Modi and Kejriwal’s claim that  that Modi would pass on the mantle to Amit Shah next year after he turns 75, if all NDA comes to power.

A day after he said at Varanasi in an television interview that “the day I do Hindu-Muslim, I will be unworthy to remain in public life”, Modi once again lashed out at the Congress for practising “religion-based” politics and its belief that 15 per cent of the government’s budget should be exclusively allocated to minorities.

“Today, I’m going to reveal this to all 140 crore countrymen for the first time. It’s a serious topic that needs to be addressed. The Congress believes that 15 percent of the government’s budget should be exclusively allocated to minorities, essentially budget allocation based on religion. Many years ago, Congress mooted the idea of budget allocation based on religion. Just imagine how destructive this idea is.”

“For Congress, there’s only one minority which is its  vote bank. I recall during my tenure as CM, when the Congress proposed spending 15 percent of the budget exclusively on Muslims. I vehemently opposed it, and thanks to BJP’s strong opposition, the Congress failed in its attempt. Now, they’re determined to revive these old agendas,” Modi said.

Claiming that the “fake” NCP led by Sharad Pawar and “fake” Shiv Sena headed by Uddhav Thackeray will merge with the Congress after the Lok Sabha polls, Modi said: “When the Uddhav Sena merges with the Congress, I will remembers the words of Shiv Sena founder late Balasaheb Thackeray who used to say that the day the Shiv Sena becomes the Congress, he will wind up the Shiv Sena”. 

Alluding to a recent statement by Sharad Pawar that some of the regional parties might merge with the Congress after the Lok Sabha polls, Modi said:  “INDIA alliance knows that its ‘primary’ party (Congress) will be defeated in such a way that becoming even the Opposition will be a big feat for them. The leaders of the alliance are suggesting that after elections, the small parties should merge with Congress so that they can at least stand as the Opposition party….the fake-Shiv Sena and fake-NCP will definitely be subsumed by Congress”

Singling out Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray for vicious criticism, Modi said: “ The nakli (fake) Shiv Sena has shattered every dream of Balasaheb Thackeray. His vision included building a grand Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and abolishing Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir. While these dreams have been fulfilled, the fake Shiv Sena is showing the most disgust. Just like Congress, the fake Sena rejected the invitation for the temple’s consecration”

“While the Congress members are puking hate about the Mandir, the fake Shiv Sena remains silent. Their sinful partnership has been exposed to the entire state of Maharashtra,” Modi said.

Hitting out at the Congress for its “pro-Pakistan” approach, Modi said: “The Congress asks us to respect Pakistan because it’s a nuclear state… When Congress rules, Pakistan threatens us. And, when Congress doesn’t rule, then Congress threatens us that Pakistan will threaten us. Why is Congress being a proxy for Pakistan?”.

“The Congress used to beg Pakistan to spare India from terrorist attacks. Since you gave me a chance, India started to retaliate by conducting surgical strikes and airstrikes. Now, Pakistan does not threaten us with nuclear attacks anymore.,” he said.  Amid shouts of a small section of the audience to speak on the issue of onion, Modi said at his election rally at Dindori: “Modi always prioritizes the interests of farmers. Nashik and its surrounding region are renowned for onion and grape cultivation. “It was our government that initiated the onion buffer system for the first time, a system absent in previous administrations

“Our government is also providing subsidies for onion transport through Operation Green, a mission being reinstated now. Similarly, the cluster development plan for grape cultivation will greatly benefit our grape farmers,”  Modi said.