Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday mocked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s decision to contest the election from Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli and said the party’s tally in the Lok Sabha election will be at an “all-time low”.
Mr. Modi said the Congress will struggle to reach the “half century” mark. “They are contesting on less seats this election, so the number is going to reduce. Now the people have realised that these people are not contesting to win elections but using elections to divide the country,” Mr. Modi said at a rally in West Bengal’s Purba Bardhaman district.
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The Prime Minister said he had predicted two months ago in the Parliament that the ‘biggest’ Congress leader (Sonia Gandhi) will not contest the Lok Sabha election and get nominated to the Rajya Sabha. Targeting Mr. Gandhi, he said, “Now, the shehzada of the Congress, who went to Wayanad after losing Amethi, is also contesting from Rae Bareli. He knows he will lose Wayanad this time.”
The Prime Minister, who addressed three election rallies in Bardhaman, Tehatta (Nadia district) and Ahmedpur (Birbhum district), said there was no need for opinion polls or exit polls as he had predicted the defeat of the Congress long ago. “These people go around and say that ‘do not fear’. I am telling them, do not fear, do not run away,” he said.
Mr. Modi said if voted to power, the Congress would “snatch” quotas meant for Scheduled Caste, Dalits and OBCs and give those to its “jihadi vote bank” as part of the party’s “appeasement politics”. He touched upon the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and said the Act will provide citizenship even though many political parties are opposing the law.
The Prime Minister targeted the Trinamool Congress and said under its government, Hindus have become “second category citizens” in the state. “ Trinamool has objection to Ram Temple, processions of Ram Navami and to slogans of Jai Shri Ram,” he said.
Mr. Modi referred to remarks by a Trinamool leader directed at Hindus and asked whether vote bank politics was more important than humanity. The Prime Minister spoke on the Sandeshkhali violence and the teacher recruitment scam in Bengal. “Those who played with the future of your children should not be spared. West Bengal teacher recruitment scam reveals the true character of Trinamool leaders. I will not spare those who looted the people of Bengal, this is Modi‘s guarantee,” he said.
The Calcutta High Court had on April 22 terminated jobs of 25,000-plus teachers and non-teaching staff on allegations that there was irregularity in the recruitment process. The Prime Minister said he has requested the BJP in Bengal to establish a legal cell and a social media platform to assist the youth who fell victims to this scam. “I assure the youth of Bengal that those who have caused you distress will be punished,” he said.
Elections to six Lok Sabha seats have been held in the State so far and the remaining 36 seats will go to polls in the next five phases.
