Launching a blistering attack against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that ‘Shehzada and his team were waiting for the polling to get over in Wayanad, from where he is contesting, to find another safe seat for him, and predicted that he (Rahul) will “run away” from Kerala like he did from Amethi.
Addressing an election rally at Nanded in Marathwada region, Modi said: “Shehzada is in trouble in Wayanad. Shehzada and his toli (gang) are waiting for the poll to get over on April 26. After that, they will find a safe seat for him. They will put him up there as a candidate”.
Alluding to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s criticism of Rahul on Friday, Modi said: “INDI alliance leaders are speaking against one another.... The Kerala Chief Minister slammed Shehzada in such a manner yesterday that even I do not speak like that. Shehzada had to run away from Amethi. I am sure he will run away from Wayand similarly. For the first time in the history of the country, members of the Congress will not vote for the party. ... Even in the place where he lives, there’s no Congress candidate”.
Modi said that the infighting was on within the Opposition INDIA bloc over the 25 per cent seats. “Come June 4, the INDI alliance leaders will tear the clothes and hair of one another. Do you want to waste your votes on these leaders? That’s why you should vote for the NDA. Voting for NDA is voting for Vikasit Bharat,” he said.
Modi, who also addressed another election rally at Parbhani in Marathwada, said that INDIA alliance leaders had come together to save and protect their corruption. “The voters are asking them for their leader but they cannot answer. The people had thoroughly rejected them in the first phase of polling. Even before the completion of the election, the Congress leaders have accepted the defeat”.
The Prime Minister charged that the Opposition INDIA bloc believed in vote bank politics. “By boycotting the Ram Temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, the Opposition leaders have insulted our astha (faith). They cannot be pardoned for insulting our astha and disrespecting ‘Sanatana’ dharma. ... Curing every wound inflicted by the Congress is Modi Ki guarantee,” Modi said, as he listed the achievements of his government like Article 370, Triple Talaq and growing economy.
Modi said that since they were used to contest and win elections to Rajya Sabha, the Opposition parties were not getting candidates. Hence the Opposition leaders are not campaigning. Even on 25 per cent of the seats the Opposition was contesting, the INDI alliance constituents are fighting against each other and making allegations against each other. They are even threatening to put each other in jail. Can you trust such people?” the Prime Minister asked the audience.
Hitting at the previous Congress Governments in Maharashtra for not doing much for the development of Marthawada and Vidarbha, Modi said: “For decades, Congress stalled the development of Vidarbha and Marathwada. It is because of the policies of the Congress that both the regions are deficient in terms of water. The farmers here are poor and there are no prospects for industrial growth. We have ensured “Nal se Jal” to 80 per cent of households in Nanded. Our constant endeavour has been to facilitate the empowerment of our farmers through record rise in MSPs, income support through PM-KISAN, and the promotion of ‘Sree Anna”.|
Dwelling up the relationship between the Sikh Gurus and Nanded, Modi said: “Nanded reflects the purity of India’s Sikh Gurus... We are guided by the principles of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Over the years we have celebrated the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the 400th birth anniversary of Guru Teg Bahadur Ji, and the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh Ji”.
Modi said that the Congress has always opposed the Sikh community and is taking revenge for 1984. “It is due to this that the Congress has been opposing the CAA which aims to bring the Sikh brothers and sisters to India, granting them citizenship. It was government that brought back the Guru Granth Sahib from Afghanistan and facilitated the Kartarpur corridor”
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, BJP State chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule, former Chief Minister and Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Chavan were among those leaders present at the rally.
