Sharing the dais with NDA’s new alliance partner Ram Vilas Paswan in Muzaffarpur, the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Monday hit out at both the UPA Government at the Centre and the Nitish Kumar Government in Bihar over issues of development, internal security and politics of hypocrisy, while Paswan reposed his faith in Modi’s leadership.
Modi also slammed the so-called Third Front as an “assembly of those parties who earlier salvaged the Congress Government in some way or the other.” Despite a multi-layered security arrangement at the Sahara ground, some 24-km away from Muzaffarpur in north Bihar, a huge crowd had gathered to attend Modi’s second rally in the State. During the entire speech the crowd chanted “Har-har Modi, Bharat Mata ki jai.”
Taking a dig at the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre, Modi said that when “our party’s priority is development and finding solutions to the problems besetting the country, their priority is getting rid of Modi.”
“Their politics is built on one dream, one agenda; that is to stop Modi. Jab main kehta hoon vikas karna hai, woh kahte hain Modi ka vinash karna hai (when I say we must make progress, they say we must stop Modi). This mindset cannot do the country any good,” said Modi amid loud cheers from the crowd. While taking on the Opposition on secularism, Modi said it has become fashionable for his opponents to take refuge in “secularism” for everything.
“Earlier, whenever anything went wrong in the country, it was attributed to a foreign hand, but today for the Opposition parties “secularism” is the word for every excuse,” declared Modi. “When we say the youth of the country want jobs, they say secularism is under threat; when we say prices are rising, they say secularism is under threat … for everything they chant secularism is under threat,” said Modi.
He added that for “them secularism might be a poll slogan but for us it is the mantra for politics of development.” While attacking the Congress, the Gujarat CM said: “When we say justice for everyone, they say appeasement for everyone; they say region first, we say India first.” In his 50-minute-long speech Modi also attacked the Nitish Government and said that he felt ashamed when he came to know that only 16 per cent houses have power connections in Bihar.
He also pointed out that in 2012 altogether 8.50 lakh youths were registered as unemployed in the State and only 2,000 got Government jobs. “Those who do not care for the youth and farmers cannot grow and develop,” he said taking another dig at the Nitish Government. Modi also said that 90 per cent of the makhana (lotus seeds) comes from Bihar, but the fortunes of its growers have remained unchanged.
“let the NDA Government come to power at the Centre and the goddess of wealth herself would come to you,” he said. He also cornered the Nitish Government on its soft approach on the issue of terrorism. “Terrorism is ruining the country. Bihar’s open border with the neighboring country Nepal is a cause of concern, but it is the vote bank politics which has kept this menace thriving,” said Modi.
Modi’s previous rally in Patna in October last year had witnessed multiple explosions triggered by the terror outfit Indian Mujahideen. While welcoming lJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan and RlSP leader Upendra Kushwaha into the NDA fold, Modi also said: “When I talk about the NDA, I mean two things: National Democratic Alliance and National Development Alliance as well.”
Appealing to other political parties he said: “More parties should come to this alliance and be a part of the country’s development along with us.” Modi also promised that the next decade would be for the development of Dalits and underprivileged. Praising Paswan, Modi said he had remained courteous to him in personal meetings and did not shy away from being photographed with him despite their ideological differences, an apparent dig at Kumar.
Without naming Kumar he said, the Bihar CM was a “hypocrite” who met him with affection in a closed room and ate together but feared shaking hands in public. “People pardon your mistakes but not hypocrisy.”
Modi thanked the people of the State for having unmatched patience and resolve when bombs were triggered off at his Patna Rally in October. “Bombs were exploded on India’s democratic system, unity and integrity. I salute the peace, unity and brotherhood of people of Bihar,” he said. Earlier, lJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan praised Narendra Modi and appealed to the people to make him the next Prime Minister of the country “so that India could make progress and become a strong nation”.
Paswan, who had quit the NDA government at the Centre in 2002 after the Gujarat riots blaming Modi, on Monday said there is a wave in favour of Modi which will take him to the seat of power. “Modi was born in a poor family who says he has been a victim of political untouchability... He is going to wear a crown of thorns. I hope no community will say a year later that Modi is not their leader,” he said, apparently referring to Muslims’ unease towards Modi.
Paswan also took a dig at both Nitish Kumar and his former ally lalu Prasad saying “a few days ago when I was with them, they were issuing certificates that Paswan is a good man, but when I joined the NDA I became a bad man for them.” Similarly, the RlSP leader Upendra Kushwaha too declared his faith in the leadership of Modi and attacked Nitish.
Senior BJP leaders Sushil Kumar Modi, Nand Kishore Yadav too addressed the rally, but the absence of other important State BJP leaders like Dr CP Thakur, Giriraj Singh and Ashwani Choubey made it clear that a section of the party was opposed it its tie up with Paswan.