BJP's poll campaign chief and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday took the Congress head on by asserting the "dynastic" rulers in New Delhi could no longer befool the people in the country hiding behind the "burqa of secularism".
Setting tone for an aggressive electioneering in the run-up to the 2014 lok Sabha polls at a public rally at Pune's BJ Medical College grounds, Modi charged that whenever the Congress found itself in a crisis, it raised the bogey of secularism and tried to cover its failures on various fronts. He said the Congress could no longer mislead or take the people for granted all in the name of "secularism".
"For the last 50 years, the Congress had hidden itself behind the burqa (veil) of secularism and taken the country on a wrong path. People have become wise now," Modi said.
He added: "They advise people against debating on crucial issues like poverty, corruption and price rise saying that secularism is under threat. But, people have become wise and can see through the Congress' game. By raising the bogey of secularism, the Congress can no longer scuttle the aspirations of the common people, keep millions of youngsters jobless, and deny food to poor people. Youngsters have woken up. They want jobs, mothers and sisters want honour and security, and farmers want remunerative price for their agricultural produce."
The Congress may not give a roti on the poor man's plate, but they want to hand him piece of legislation (Food security ordinance) in the hope that it would help him overcome his hunger, the Gujarat CM said.
Daring the Congress for a battle royale with the BJP in the run-up to the 2014 polls, Modi said: "The rulers in Delhi do not address the basic issues of people. I challenge the Government at the Centre. let us slug it out. Our six years of the NDA Government under AB Vajpayee and your UPA Government's 10 years…. ho jaye mukabla".
Castigating the UPA Government for its inept handling of the country's economy, Modi said: "India's PM is an economist, yet the country's economy is in such a bad shape on the economic front. Very soon, dollar rate will touch the age of the Finance Minister.”
“...Congress is one stream where even the best among economists starts treading the path of destruction," he said.
Averring that the Congress had indirectly accepted that it was incapable of eradicating poverty in the country, Modi said: "Though they have been harping on rooting out poverty and garnering votes for years on end. The fact remains that they have let the poor remain poor."
Poking fun at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for his purported concern for the poor, Modi said: "Their prince goes and spends the night in poverty-stricken homes. And he showcases the work of his ancestors."
lamenting that the education system in the country had become a money-spinning exercise, Modi said: "From a man-making country, we have become a money-making machine. We need to build men and not money-machines..,"
Stressing on the need for analysing the road map of China on the education front, Modi said: "In 2000, two of India's university were among the world's top universities and China had none. Ten years later, India has one university and China has 32."