In a scathing attack on Congress, BJP’s prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that the party has taught ABCD of corruption to India and he would act as a chowkidar (watchman) to guard India’s wealth as a Prime Minister.
“During Rajiv Gandhi’s prime ministership, from panchayat to Central… it was Congress rule and still it failed to curb corruption. I will not go to Centre as a Prime Minister, but I will guard India’s treasury like a chowkidar. I won’t let any panja (hand) take country’s treasure away,” Modi said in an impressive Fateh (victory) rally here, sounding the poll bugle in Punjab. Modi said, “It was foolish of Rajiv Gandhi to say that one rupee which starts from Delhi becomes 15 paise by the time it reaches the people. The Congress should answer the people of the country about the hand which rubbed one rupee coin to reduce it to mere 15 paise.”
Trying to connect with the people of the land, Modi said, “I will protect the honour of the turban that has been placed by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on my head by giving the people of Punjab their due, which has been neglected by the Congress since Independence.” Congress has always thrived on the policy of divide and rule, but in Punjab they have failed to divide the NDA and hence, they have started circulating rumors that the State of Gujarat have thought of relocating the Sikh farmers from Kutch region, said he.
The BJP’s prime ministerial candidate said, “Today, before all of you and your leader, I give my words that no one will be denied their rights in Gujarat. As a leader of the State, I think each and every Indian has the right to reside in any part of the State. However, if any officer tries to uproot someone from my State, it is the officer that will be uprooted not the people.”
Praising the region, Modi said Punjabi cuisine and music has penetrated each and every region of the country and even in Gujarat, Punjabi food is served during the weddings. He said that he has learned a lot from Parkash Singh Badal, which helped him in governing Gujarat, when he was a party worker in the region. Addressing the issue of food wastage in India, Modi said that FCI should be divided into three separate departments — one each responsible for procurement, management and distribution so that the hard work of farmers do not go waste and food grain does not rot.
Attacking the Congress, Modi, said the ruling party defied the Supreme Court’s direction to distribute rotting grains among the poor, adding that they sold it to liquor companies at a much cheaper rate. Harping on development, he said, “When NDA fights elections, it is as National Democratic Alliance but once in power, it becomes National Development Alliance.”
The Gujarat Chief Minister also slammed the UPA for delaying ‘One Rank-One Pension’ for ex-servicemen, saying that the Government does not mean what it has announced as it had made several such announcements in the past. He questioned why wasn’t the announcement made earlierIJ “Even this time, since I am repeatedly talking about it, they have announced it but this is a “fraud” with you. Had Congress party been honest, they had the chance to announce it in 10 budgets from 2004 to 2014. But they did not do it,” Modi added.
Praising the BJP-SAD alliance in Punjab as a symbol of Hindu-Sikh unity, he said that it had put to end the “Congress’ game of divide-and-rule”. He said that the party was now throwing pepper instead of dust in the eyes of the people to befool them, an obvious reference to the recent pepper spray incident in lok Sabha involving an expelled Congress MP.