Giving a befitting reply to Rahul Gandhi’s emotional drama, BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi said he was not interested in sharing tear-jerking stories but questioned as why an intelligence official shared secret information with an MP and demanded that Congress vice -president should reveal the name of those officials.
"The Congress Yuvraj should either name official or should apologise publically for falsely blaming the Youth for being in touch with Pakistan’s intelligence agency," Modi said while addressing a public rally in Jhansi on Friday. He said UPA is in power. This is shameful that ISI is approaching Muslim youths and trying to lure them right under their nose. "What UPA Government is doingIJ. Why action has not been taken the ISI personnel," Modi asked.
Modi tore into Congress in his fiery 50- minute speech where he said that he had not come there to shed tears but to wipe tears from the eyes of the people. This was the answer to Rahul’s emotional outcry about the assassination of his grand mother and father and how angry he felt at that time. "This is like rubbing slat to the wound. When Congress leaders killed Sikhs does not Congress Yuvraj felt bad and angry. This is a fact those leaders who led that pogrom are yet to be punished. Why Yuvraj does not talk about those families who list their near and dear in 1984 riots," Modi asked.
It was point-wise rebuttal to Rahul’s emotional atyachar. He even questioned about Rahul’s promise of Bundelkhand package. As if playing to the gallery he asked the people: Did you get benefits of that package". The crowd answered in unison no. "Do not ask for package - just send them packing," Modi said and the crowd roared again.
Making a fervent appeal to the people to vote for BJP he said that people have seen 60 years of Congress raj and now they should BJP just 60 months. He even coined a slogan : 60 years versus 60 months. "I would be your chowkidar who would not allow anyone to lay their hand (Congress election symbol) on the public exchequer," he said and added that Country should get rid of troika of SP, BSP and Congress and help BJP to shovel them out.
This Jhansi rally was second in the series of Modi’s rally. Bundelkhand had of late witnessed large scale political upheaval with hopping and chopping in Bahujan Samaj party and Samajwadi Party. This trend BJP leaders feel is favourable for them. The sitting Samajwadi Party MP from Banda R.K. Singh Patel has joined BSP while BSP’s own MP from Hamirpur Vijay Bahadur Singh has been sacked from the party for showering praises on Narendra Modi. Samajwadi Party has changed its Jalaun MP Ghanshaym Anuragi. While Jhansi, the fourth Parliamentary seat in Bundelkhand area is represented by Union Minister Pradeep Jain Aditya.
For BJP this Bundelkhand rally has provided much awaited boost as party needs a toehold in this region which was once its bastion. The party had tried to gain foothold in 2012 when it fielded Uma Bharati from Charkhari in Hamirpur. The move paid dividend and it won 3 out of 19 assembly seats. But it was not enough to make an impact in the political canvas of Uttar Pradesh. The best performance of the BJP was in 1991 when party won 16 assembly seats from here This rally did make a difference. Party workers came from far flung regions of Bundelkhand to hear Modi. "I voted for BSP last time but now I am Modi supporter, and has come from Chitrakoot to attend this rally," Kailash Agarwal said.
The party also arranged a 20-bogies special train from Chitrakoot - the train was called NaMo Express and carried over 8,000 people. "Have you ever seen such a multitude of people in BundelkhandIJ No. Such a large number of people proves that BJP is set to sweep not only Uttar Pradesh but also whole of Uttar Pradesh,’ Namit Singh said.