New Delhi: Launching his campaign for Gujarat Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitched the election as a fight between a Gujarati and an outsider, between a poor chaiwala and the Congress’ heir apparent.
Hitting out at the Congress for disliking him for being poor (referring to the chaiwala jibe), the Prime Minister said in Jasdan that he was being targeted by the main Opposition party because of his humble background and for being born to a “poor mother”.
“They are feeling uneasy because a chaiwala became the PM. We used to read in books how the downtrodden get harassed by those in higher strata. But I never imagined they would stoop so low,” Mr Modi said.
“I want to tell them that I am Modi, who is ready to sell tea but will never commit the sin of selling the entire country,” he said, in an apparent reference to scams during the Congress-led UPA rule.
Hitting at the Congress over the issue of black money and GST, Mr Modi said that the NDA government’s efforts against corruption have “naturally troubled the Congress”.
“Everyone knows life and death is part of the process, but nothing beats the sorrow of losing an earning member. Even after 12 months of the tragedy, you still get tears in your eyes, if you lose the breadwinner of the family. This is why Congress has tears in their eyes even after 12 months after demonetisations... They have lost all their black money,” said the PM.
Describing his home state as his “atma (soul)” and India as his “parmatma (all mighty),” Mr Modi said, “I have grown up on this soil, you Gujaratis know my plus and minus points, what was good in me has evolved due to this mitti (soil), due to my mother (Gujarat).”
He asked the people of Gujarat not to forgive Congress leaders for levelling baseless allegations on the “son of Gujarat” who has a stainless public life.
During his campaign in the state in the last few days, Mr Gandhi had trained his gun at the Modi-led government over the Rafale fighter aircraft deal. He also alleged during his campaign that Mr Modi is not a “chowkidar” (watchman) but a bhagidar (partner) in “corrupt” practices while referring to BJP president Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah’s company.
The Prime Minister, who began his speech in Kutch in Kuttchi language, said Gujaratis will not forgive those attacking its child. The more the Congress for hurls muck at him, the more “lotus” will bloom, he said.
Mr Modi began his election campaign in Gujarat by offering prayers at the principle diety of Kutch, Ashapura Mata temple at Mata No Madh.
Mr Modi addressed four rallies in Bhuj in Kutch district, Jasdan in Rajkot, Dhari in Amreli and Kamrej in Surat, covering Bhuj, Saurashtra and South Gujarat, from where 89 Assembly seats will go to polls in the first phase on December 9. The BJP has a stronghold in these regions.
Mr Modi will be in Gujarat again on Wednesday when he will address another four rallies. Mr Modi accused the Congress of having “contempt for Gujarat” and for “pitting one caste against the other” and asked the people not to let the Opposition party destroy the state’s composite culture.
“There are some people who love spreading negativity and pessimism... They lack neeti, niyat, a neta and a naata (connect) with the people,” said Mr Modi as the gathering applauded and chanted “Bharat Mata ki Jai” slogans.
Describing the electoral battle in Gujarat as the battle of dynasty versus development, Mr Modi accused opponents of spreading lies about a son of Gujarat, which they did earlier also as he named Sardar Patel, Morarji Desai among others.
“Gujarat will never accept this. No Gujarati will accept the lies that they are spreading,” asserted the Prime Minister. The Congress hit back at Mr Modi over his charge that the Congress propagated dynastic politics.
Congress’ senior spokesperson Anand Sharma said the PM “has forgotten” that his party gave Prime Ministers like Lal Bahadur Shastri and Manmohan Singh, who came from a humble background. He condemned Mr Modi’s claims that the Congress and country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru did nothing for Gujarat and alleged that such a campaign emanated from the BJP’s frustration due to its “impending defeat”.
