Balod (Chhattisgarh)/ Sundargarh (Odisha): Five days before the first phase of voting for Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday sought a big mandate for the BJP and launched a multi-pronged attack on the Congress, targeting it for its reluctance to hit terror camps in Pakistan, using poverty as a major political weapon and attempting to dilute the powers of the armed forces.
Urging voters to provide a “majboot sarkar” (decisive government) at the Centre, the Prime Minister said, “When the government is strong, the county does not sit quiet after a terrorist attack. It retaliates strongly.”
He also mocked Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s decision to fight LS polls from Kerala’s Wayanad, besides Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi, saying the “naamdar” (dynast) has had to “run away” to find a safe seat.
Launching the BJP’s campaign in Chhattisgarh at a rally in Balod, Mr Modi cautioned that the Congress along with its allies would only give a “majboor sarkar” (helpless government) to promote their self-interests if elected to power in the 2019 parliamentary elections.
He said while the “chowkidar” showed guts to hit terrorist safe havens inside Pakistan, the Grand Old Party wants to dilute the powers of the armed forces.
He slammed the Congress’ election manifesto promising to dilute the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (Afspa) and the sedition law if voted to power, warning that such a move would be detrimental to the security of the country.
“Terrorists and Maoists will be let off the hook with such measures. It is against the interest of the internal security of the country as well as our defence forces,” he said.
At a rally in Odisha, the Prime Minister accused the Congress of always using poverty as a major political weapon and said the best remedy to eradicate poverty was to do away with that party.
“I want to tell you about the conspiracy of the Congress to rob the assistance meant for the poor. The Congress wants to implement such policies which will double the prices of essential items, including rice and wheat available through PDS,” Mr Modi said.
He spiced up his election speech at the two political rallies with famous quotes from former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and virtuous terms and terminologies to woo voters.
At the Sundargarh public meeting, Mr Modi repeated Vajpayee’s famous quote “Andhera chatega, suraj niklega, Kamal khilega” (Sun will shine to end darkness, and Lotus will bloom) and gave a clarion call to bring BJP to power and build a “majboot” (strong) Odisha.
Mr Modi took a dig at the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government for discriminating against western Odisha. He asked the crowd, “Do you want to see vikas-bad (development) or bhed-bhav (discrimination)?”
