Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that wherever a Congress government is formed, that state becomes the ATM (Automated Teller Machine) of the party's ‘shahi parivar'.

“We won't let Maharashtra become the ATM of Congress,” Modi said, addressing a campaign rally in Akola for the November 20 state assembly elections. “I challenge the shahi parivar of Congress to prove if they ever visited Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's panchteerth,” Modi said.

Modi has coined the term panchteerth to denote Amedbkar birthplace in Mhow, the place in London where he stayed while studying in the UK, Deeksha Bhoomi in Nagpur where he embraced Buddhism, his ‘Mahaparinirvan Sthal' in Delhi, and ‘Chaitya Bhoomi' in Mumbai.

 People of Haryana foiled the conspiracy of Congress by following the ‘Ek hai to safe hai' (we are safe if we are united) mantra, Modi said. “The Congress knows that it will be strengthened only if the country is weakened.

The policy of that party is to pit one caste against the other,” he said. Modi said the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra means corruption and scams of thousands of crores of rupees. “In my first two terms as the PM, I have given four crore pucca houses to the poor,” Modi said.

“I have come to seek your blessings for the BJP-led Mahayuti (grand alliance) in the Maharashtra assembly elections,” he said. “On this day in 2019, the Supreme Court of the country gave its verdict on Ram Temple. This date of November 9 will also be remembered because after the decision of the Supreme Court, people of every religion showed great sensitivity,” Modi said.

 “This feeling of nation first is the biggest strength of India,” he said. “In the 10 years from 2014 to 2024, Maharashtra has continuously blessed the BJP wholeheartedly. There is a reason behind Maharashtra's trust in BJP.

he reason for this is the patriotism, political understanding and vision of the people of Maharashtra,” Modi said.