Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday targeted the Opposition, including the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Congress, for cheating backward and scheduled communities in the name of social justice. Mr. Modi further said only he will be able to “fulfil the dreams of reformers such as Jyotiba Phule, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Chaudhary Charan Singh”.
Addressing an election rally in support of BJP candidate from the Amroha Lok Sabha seat, Kanwar Singh Tanwar, the PM took aim at parties of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) for rejecting the invitation to the Ram temple consecration ceremony. “The INDIA bloc parties rejected the invitation for consecration ceremony. The Congress and its partners have no respect for the tradition of our nation. After 500 years, the dream of a grand Ram Temple is fulfilled in Ayodhya. People from across India and abroad celebrated it like a festival, but the Congress tried its best to stop the temple’s construction. When people of the country built such a grand temple and were willing to forgive all your [Congress’s] past mistakes by inviting you for the consecration ceremony, you insulted Lord Ram by rejecting the invitation,” alleged Mr. Modi.
In Amroha, Mr. Tanwar is locked in a three-cornered contest with Kunwar Danish Ali of the Congress and Mujahid Hussain of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The constituency is going to polls on April 26.
Without naming Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and SP president Akhilesh Yadav, Mr. Modi alleged that the “duo carry with them a box of appeasement, corruption, and dynasty politics”, and accused them of attacking people’s faith. “The shooting of the film Do shehzade ki jodi [A pair of princes] is being undertaken. But the film has already been rejected by the voters,” he said.
Mr. Modi claimed that sitting Amroha MP Danish Ali had problems in chanting “Bharat Mata ki Jai”. ”Will a person, who cannot accept ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’, look good in the Indian Parliament? Should such a person be allowed entry into the Indian Parliament?” he asked the crowd.
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PTI adds:
Slamming the opposition, Mr. Modi said, “The SP and the Congress declined the invitation to the Ram temple’s consecration ceremony in Ayodhya. People hankering for vote banks refused the invitation to the ceremony.
“They are not satisfied after refusing the invitation, so they abuse the Ram temple and Sanatan Dharma. The SP, for its vote bank, call Ram bhakts ‘pakhandi’ (hypocrite). Those in the INDIA bloc hate Sanatan Dharma.” The prime minister alleged that when he went under the sea to offer prayers in Gujarat’s Dwarka, where Lord Krishna had gone from Amroha, “the prince of the Congress said there is nothing to pray under the sea. They are rejecting our faith only for their vote banks”.
Hitting out at Mr. Yadav and Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, he said, “Those in Bihar who say they are Yaduvanshis, in Uttar Pradesh, the leader who takes the benefits of being a Yaduvanshi, I want to ask them, how can they sit with a party that insults Lord Krishna? How can you have an agreement with them?” Accusing vote-bank politics for communal riots, Mr. Modi said, “This vote-bank politics burnt western Uttar Pradesh in the fire of riots. The people of Uttar Pradesh can never forget that era of Goonda Raj. People had to migrate because of it.
“But Yogiji (Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath) got rid of criminals for your safety. We must ensure that these forces are not strengthened again in any manner.” The prime minister began his speech with an appeal to people to vote. “I appeal to everyone to exercise their right to vote given by the Constitution,” he said.
Mr. Modi emphasised that youngsters should especially go out and vote to secure their future and that of the country.
Attacking the INDIA opposition bloc, he said, “Those in the INDI alliance are using their strengths to make villages backwards.” The prime minister was accompanied by Mr. Adityanath on the dais.
