In the hill state of Himachal Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday lashed at the Congress for demanding scrapping of the sedition law and revoking of special powers for soldiers fighting insurgencies.
Addressing an election rally in the sprawling Padal stadium, the first in the state, Modi made a clarion call to the people not to be beguiled by the falsehoods spread by the opposition party.
Modi said Congress says that there should be talks with separatists, sedition law should be scrapped, special powers to soldiers should be scrapped, questioning the motive.
Emphasising his bond with the hill state, Modi, donning a Himachali cap,
the entire Himachal Pradesh has a right over him and he has a right over every single resident. "In 2014, you made BJP victorious on four seats, you gave us abundant love in 2017 (Assembly polls). Today once again I have come here to ask for your blessings. The entire Himachal Pradesh has a right over me and I have a right over every single resident in Himachal Pradesh," he said.
In his speech, Modi also raked up Congress leader Sam Pitroda's remark on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He said one of the top Congress leaders said the 1984 riots just happened ('Hua toh Hua'). "These three words sum up the arrogance of the Congress," he added.
Taking credit for granting 'One Rank One Pension' to defence personnel, Modi said Congress has always been habitual of insulting the Indian Army's jawans, adding that BJP government has solved the matter of 'One Rank One Pension' which was pending for four decades.
He said for years, Congress had kept our jawans waiting for bullet-proof jackets, alleging that a Congress minister in Karnataka had said that "those who join the army, do so just to fill their stomachs."
"Do the brave mothers of Himachal send their sons to the military as they could not afford two meals a day? Is it not an insult to the brave soldiers?" Modi asked.
State Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, former CM Shanta Kumar and other state BJP leaders attended the rally. Sitting BJP MP Ramswaroop Sharma is seeking re-election from Mandi. is pitted against former Union telecom minister Sukh Ram's grandson Aashray Sharma, who is the son of a BJP leader but his grandfather is now back with the Congress
Himachal Pradesh will vote on May 19 in the last phase for the four Lok Sabha seats of Shimla, Mandi, Hamirpur and Kangra.