Launching a blistering attack on the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday charged it with looting the country, saying in five years of his government, he has brought the Congress to the doorstep of jail.
“Give me another five years, and I will ensure they (Congress leaders) are in jail,” Modi said while addressing a rally in Junagadh in his home state Gujarat which has 26 Lok Sabha seats, and where polling is due on April 23.
Dubbing the Congress manifesto as ‘Dhakosla Patra’ (a ‘document of hypocrisy’), the Prime Minister criticised the Congress for promising removal of sedition laws.
“They want our army to be defenceless. They want to protect the ‘tukde-tukde gang’ — no matter how big their crime is, they have the right to get bail. Why are they (Congress) doing it? Are they preparing for jail? I have brought them to the doorstep of jail in five years. Give me another five years, and I will ensure they are in jail,” Modi said.
“Congress wants power to loot money, and there is only one family in the Congress. The party has held out only false promises in the name of poverty removal. The country can only prosper if it is safe and secure,” Modi said.
“There is not a single slur left with the Congress which its leaders have not used for your son, Modi. They have always had problems with Gujarat. First it was Sardar Patel, then Morarji Desai and now it’s me. They wonder how this Gujarati ‘chaiwala’ has become the PM,” Modi said.
“If you want to compare BJP and Congress, it’s simple: Look at the track records of both parties. While Congress’s is a tape record, the BJP’s record shows determination for the country’s security and a fight against terrorists,” Modi said.
“The Congress tape record has only one song in it: ‘Modi hatao’. Is this the same Congress which was nurtured by Sardar Patel? ” he asked.
On Kashmir, Prime Minister said the Congress wanted a different prime minister for J&K. “Is it possible for a country to have two prime ministers?” he asked.
“I want you to vote BJP to ensure its victory in all 26 seats so that we could continue development of the country. And I want even more: We should ensure that all these anti-Gujaratis should lose their deposits, ” Modi said.
The Prime Minister requested the first-time voters of the state to dedicate their vote to a party committed to the security of the country. “When you are going to cast your first vote, I urge you to dedicate that vote to the country, only to country’s interest and for the government committed to the security of the country,” he said.