Cong unable to digest my popularity, conspiring against me: Narendra Modi

Bengaluru: With Congress targeting him over charges of illegal snooping, a combative Narendra Modi on Sunday hit back alleging that 'conspiracies' were being hatched against him by the ruling party which is unable to digest the 'saffron wave' and his growing popularity.

The BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate said Congress had attacked anyone who spoke in his favour and the UPA government has tried to control the social media.

"These days, attacks on BJP have increased a bit. Attacks on Narendra Modi have also increased. Attacks have increased because of this scene (a reference to the turnout)."

"They are unable to digest this. Don't know what kind of language is being used and the kind the conspiracies being hatched..... They are trying various ways and means to rattle BJP," Modi said at a rally where he referred to the huge turnout as a 'saffron wave'.

Modi's remarks come amid charges that his trusted aide Amit Shah as Home Minister had misused powers and police machinery for illegal surveillance of a young woman in 2009. Congress has asked BJP to rethink on Modi as prime ministerial candidate, but the latter has rubbished the charge.

Two investigative portals, Cobrapost and Gulail, had claimed on November 15 that Shah had ordered the illegal surveillance at the behest of one 'saheb' and released taped conversation between Shah and an IPS officer to back their claim, adding that its authenticity could not be confirmed.

Modi flew in a helicopter from the airport to the helipad built at the sprawling Palace Grounds, as some 5,000 security personnel kept a hawk-eyed vigil in and around the venue, leaving nothing to chance.

BJP is hoping to corner sizeable number of seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka where 28 seats are at stake. BJP had won 18 in the 2008 polls.

Posters of former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, who parted with BJP and floated his own outfit KJP, were seen in and around venue, extending support to Modi as prime ministerial candidate.

Continuing his trenchant attack on Congress, Modi said it had no faith in democracy and recalled that it had imposed Emergency and was now trying to control the social media.

"They don't have any concern for democracy. It is the nature of Congress to throttle the neck of democracy. They are making efforts to control the media which reminds me of Emergency times.," he said.

PM accuses Modi of resorting to falsehoods, twisting facts

Modi said in a democracy, everybody has the right to express opinion. "Lata Mangeshkar had said if Modi becomes Prime Minister it will be good. Please tell me my brothers, doesn't somebody have the right to speak? If somebody says Modi should be imprisoned for life, is it not his right to speak? Somebody says Modi should be hanged, is it not his right to say so? If somebody says Modi should be made PM, is it not his right to speak about it?

Mangeshkar, who evokes pride and is highly respectable, was targeted with some of Congress leaders demanding that she be stripped off the Bharat Ratna, he said.

An International investment banking firm also faced the ire of the government for stating that market sentiments had improved after he was announced as prime ministerial candidate, Modi said.

He said the Congress even sought ban on opinion polls with four states going to the Assembly polls.

"Is it the language of democracy. They are not ready to listen to other parties' views. Whether the opinions are flashed on TV screens or not, people have already formed their opinion.

"..The time has come for your departure," he said as he tore into the Manmohan Singh government, saying "Congress is sitting in an ivory tower. They (Congress) play indoor sport. We (BJP) play outdoor sport."

Alleging that Congress and UPA government played votebank politics, he said after coming to power in 2004, the Central government had overturned POTA thereby allowing terrorists and Naxals to go 'scot-free'.

He said there is a need for taking the country from a situation of chaos to clarity, from corruption to clean administration and from stagnation to buoyancy.

He also said "UPA is in power not because it enjoys majority but because of CBI. Whenever there is a threat of collapse, CBI knocks the doors of BSP and takes out this file or that file and out of fear people go to Congress to save the government."

"They started saying power is poison. So, they kept telling people 'power is poison; don't go near that. This is enough for us. Don't test this poison. Our one family (Gandhi) is enough. Let us only test the poison. They kept explaining only this. By saying 'poision, poison', they hatched a conspiracy to not allow people of the country anywhere near power. In the vicinity of one family, by saying 'poison, poison', they accumulated power".

Modi was also presented with a cheque for Rs 35 lakh by the state BJP, which had mobilised the amount charging Rs 10 as entry fee for the rally, to be used for the proposed statue Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

He opened his speech by congratulating Sachin Tendulkar and Prof C.N.R. Rao on being honoured with the Bharat Ratna. The Gujarat CM also spoke a few lines in Kannada.

Next: Highlights of Modi's speech

Highlights:

• Congratulations to Sachin and Rao?
• I have come to this city many times, never has any election campaign visit seen such a huge rally. Like a saffron sea all around.
• The attacks on BJP and Modi have become sharper because they can neither bring about such rallies, nor digest the fact that they cant
• Karnataka youth have made India proud in IT
• After Silicon Valley, it is here in Bengaluru where IT professionals work in large numbers
• Atalji announced Moon Mission from Red Fort, in 2008 Chandrayan was a success. Mangalyaan was continuation of that S&T policy
• During Atal Behari Vajpayee's time, IT growth was 40 pc. UPA 1 brought it down to 30 and during UPA 2, it further got down to 9 pc.
• The economy is in a crisis mode. As if competition between Rupee and Congress reputation: who will go down further & faster
• Will rupee go down faster than the respect for UPA government?
• Modi questions government's interest in promoting meat exports.
• Tells govt if the same interest was shown in the people of Karnataka, the IT industry would have reached further heights, and the cows would have been spared.
• UPA wants to get rid of gau-raksha, for vote bank. Just like they got rid of POTA, for vote bank. It gave rise to terrorism & Naxalvaad
• India has the biggest youth population in the world. If focus is on them, our country will reach heights never thought possible before
• Cong promised employment to youth, but it hasn't delivered that either. Forget that, it has committed sin of making youth unemployed
• UPA not only ate up our coal reserves, it also ate up the coal files
• Supreme Court mey kehte hain Koyle kii file kho gayee. Arey file nahii poori sarkar kho gayee. Hindustan ki toh life kho gayi hai
• Modi compares Centre's 1,000 cr skill development fund with Gujarat's 800 cr. Says govt not taking matters seriously
• UPA only concerned with opening and closing skill development initiatives. No particular activities known
• Modi praises social media, says it has empowered everyone. He points out that UPA is afraid of this and is working on measures to curb this movement
• Stifling democracy is cornerstone of Congress politics.They are now trying to curb & restrict social media. They are threatening media
• They are questioning TV channels in a threatening manner why did you telecast Modi's speech on 15th August. I am just a Chief Minister
• Modi makes fun of UPA's fixation on him. Points out the experiences involving Lata Mangeshkar and the Goldman Sachs report
• The UPA is not running because of majority but because of tactics of the CBI. Sometimes CBI works on SP or BSP. That's how it works
• Modi ridicules Chidambaram's statement on inflation. Says govt as much responsible to the urban middleclass as it is with the other classes
• Chidambaram said if you spend Rs 15 for water Rs20 for ice cream why not Re 1 for rice. Is this the way to talk about urban middle class
• The UPA is not running because of majority but because of tactics of the CBI. Sometimes CBI works on SP or BSP. That's how it works
• In Wankhede, people were betting will Sachin score a century or will onion prices reach a century
• UPA removed onion from 'essential commodities' list which resulted in the current onion crisis
• Congress will lose in Delhi due to onion price rise