Solapur: BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a blistering attack on Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi, saying the country does not trust the party which failed to keep the promises made to people during elections.
BJP’s prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a blistering attack on Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi, saying the country does not trust the party which failed to keep the promises made to people during elections.
Speaking at a poll campaign rally in Solapur, Mr. Modi also targeted Union ministers Sharad Pawar and Sushilkumar Shinde. The latter is seeking re-election from Solapur.
“Tell me, is there any reason why the UPA government in Delhi should be re-elected? Hasn’t the government broken your trust,” Mr. Modi said.
“Sushilkumar Shinde and Sharad Pawar made promises to you. Haven’t they broken the promise to weavers,” Mr. Modi said, addressing the rally in this town, famous for weavers who produce the popular ‘Solapur chadar’.
“You garner votes by making false promises. It is the Congress’ habit of making false promises to win polls,” the BJP leader said.
“The people of the country have decided. The arrogance of Congress-NCP is such that (they think) the masses are their slaves. The governments are made if people will so. The time for browbeating has gone,” he said.
“Shindeji, you are the home minister. Why did you not think that the uniforms made by local weavers be provided to police so that local people get livelihood,” he said.
“But he (Shinde) only thinks day and night of how to keep Madam (Sonia Gandhi) happy. These are people who are devotees of a family,” he said.
“What kind of a family devotion is this that chief ministers, cabinet ministers and party functionaries are all devoted to a single family?” Mr. Modi said.
“They (Congressmen) offer ‘prasad’ and perform ‘aarti’ (of the Gandhi family). They are not bothered about you. When the ’family’ is happy, the happiness of Shinde’s generations is ensured,” he said.
Invoking his humble tea seller origin, Mr. Modi attacked “born-with-the-golden-spoon” Rahul Gandhi, saying his rival hardly knew what poverty was.
“They go to poor pople’s homes, eat their food, snap photos and show to the world. They don’t know what poverty is.
They were born with a golden spoon. What will they know about poverty?” Mr. Modi said, adding “They have not seen poverty. I was born into poverty. I used to sell tea on trains.”
“Here they are, whose father, grandmother, great grandfather were all prime ministers. And here I am whose family didn’t even know what a panchayat is,” Mr. Modi said.
He also hit out at NCP leader and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar for the latter’s “urinating in dam” remarks.
“Farmers should get water. What kind of language does Ajit Pawar use for farmers who demand water? I want to remind farmers that when you go out to vote, just remember the language used by these leaders,” Mr. Modi said.
Mr. Pawar had courted controversy by his crass remarks last year when he said, “If there is no water in the dam, how can we release it? Should we urinate into it? If there is no water to drink, even urination is not possible.”
NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s nephew had later apologised for his comments made while mocking Bhaiyya Deshmukh, a farmer from a drought-hit area in Solapur who had been on a hunger strike at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan to demand release of more water into the dams.
