Winding up his poll campaign in Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday targeted Sonia Gandhi saying the Congress president has no moral right to lecture the NDA on tolerance and it should “hang its head in shame” for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots where thousands were massacred.
Scaling up his attack on the Grand Alliance leaders, he accused them of playing with nation’s security by “sheltering” those promoting terror and asked if such people should be
allowed to form a Government in the State.
Wrapping up his campaign blitzkrieg in Bihar where he addressed about 30 election rallies in the five-phased, high-decibel Assembly polls, Modi also attacked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD supremo lalu Prasad on the quota issue, claiming he has “exposed” their “lies” and attempts at giving the Assembly polls a “casteist colour”.
Modi has been repeatedly accusing the Grand Alliance of trying to “snatch away” 5 per cent share in reservation
for Dalits, tribals and backwards and give it to a “particular community”. “Today is November 2. Do you recall 1984IJ lakhs of Sikhs were massacred in Delhi and across India on the second, third and fourth day of Indira Gandhi’s killing in which serious allegations were made against Congress and its leaders. Today, on the same day, Congress party is giving lecture on the issue of tolerance. ‘Doob maro, doob maro’. This does not behove you… The tears in the eyes of the Sikh victims have not yet dried. Their wounds have not healed and you are doing this ‘dramebaazi’ on November 2,” he said addressing a poll rally in Purnea in Seemanchal region which has a sizeable Muslim population where the last phase of polls are due on November 5.
Modi’s remarks came as the Congress’ top leadership prepared to meet President Pranab Mukherjee on the issue of alleged growing religious intolerance on Tuesday.
It also came a day after Sonia Gandhi voiced concern on the issue at a function in the national Capital and vowed to fight the “diabolical design” of divisive forces to spread hatred, which posed a threat to the unity of the country.
Attacking the Grand Alliance leaders, he said at another poll rally in Darbhanga, “When there were blasts in Pune and Mumbai and a Dalit police officer was investigating the ‘Darbhanga module’ of terror, its strings touched some leaders closely associated with those in power.”
“While no action was taken against those encouraging and blessing people involved in terrorist activities, the brave policewoman seeking to find the truth was forced to leave Darbhanga and Bihar.
Do you want such people to rule in Patna who play with the country’s security, those who shelter terrorists and encourage themIJ Do you want a Government of such peopleIJ Do you want terrorism to enter this land of BiharIJ Do you want Bihar to become a land of bomb blastsIJ” he asked, while exhorting people to elect a BJP-led NDA Government instead.
The Prime Minister said while he talked of uplifting Bihar through development, the Grand Alliance leaders tried to enact a “drama” and gave “casteist colour” to the assembly polls by spreading “imaginary fears” about a move to scrap quotas.
“They are spreading imaginary fear and lies about reservation and their courtiers sitting in Delhi are also shouting loudly. I have exposed them (lalu and Nitish) and they are unable to stand up. They sought review of reservation in Parliament and from a common platform on July 23 and 24, 2005. They wanted to reduce the reservation for dalits, tribals and backwards and to give it on religious lines to a particular community, so they could remain in power.
“I have punctured their balloon and they are now unable to stand up and face the public...Now when I have exposed them by releasing their video and speeches, they have stopped talking of reservation over the past week and are running away,” he said.
Modi also attacked lalu-Nitish over ‘jungle raj’ and ‘jantra-mantra raj’. “The ‘jungle raj’ and ‘jantra-mantra raj’ have got together and this duo will ruin Bihar completely...I have come here to seek your support and change the state’s fortune... Bihar now needs two engines to steer it out of this big pit that these leaders of Grand Alliance have thrown it into in the last many years of their rule,” he said.
The Prime Minister wondered how the Grand Alliance partners would remain united after the polls when they were not seen together during the election campaign which stretched over two months.
“Have you seen Nitish babu, laluji or Rahulji together on a single platform during this two-month-long poll campaign. If they can’t be together due to mistrust among them, they cannot do any good to you,” he said.
Modi claimed lalu was eyeing the leader of Opposition’s post for one of his sons. “I want to ask lalu publicly...Nitish babu, laluji, Soniaji, please do tell people of Bihar as to who will be the leader of Opposition. lalu’s son or Nitish babu. People of Bihar want to know this, and they should be told about it. I demand this from you,” he said.
Responding to grand alliance leaders’ statements about his frequent visits to Bihar, Modi “Is it a crime that Modi is coming hereIJ Are you afraid of getting exposedIJ You are trying to create a scare of Modi by telling people this or that will happen if he comes here. You have played on this fear for last many years. Despite that people reposed faith in me. I have come here because of people’s trust in me.”
Modi said “Jaativaad ka zehar” (poison of caste) and Sampradayawad ka junoon (communal frenzy) were “stain” on democracy. The PM said Grand Alliance leaders “are abusing Modi all the time. If Bihar benefits from abusing Modi, I am ready for it.”
Expressing confidence that BJP will form government in the State with two-thirds majority, the Prime Minister said “lalu and Nitish have only six days left to play their games as people will settle their score on November 8 (the day of counting of votes)”.
Modi also accused lalu of “insulting” ‘Maithili’ language, spoken in large parts in north Bihar, by removing it from the list of official languages recognised by the State Public Service Commission in 1990. He said the NDA Government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee restored its “status and dignity” in 2002 by including it in the 8th schedule.
The Prime Minister slammed Nitish Kumar for not keeping his promise of confiscating properties of those convicted of corruption charges like lalu Prasad.
Terming the corrupt as “termites”, Modi said, “When you press the button to cast your vote in this election, it will act like an injection that will kill this termite of corruption.”
He lauded the people for voting in large numbers defying the threat of Maoists.