PM slams Cong, says society of thieves' ganging up to remove country's Chowkidar

BARIPADA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a scathing attack on Congress and its president Rahul Gandhi saying the party leaders and its president were targeting him as he fought against corruption and nepotism that took place during the previous UPA government. Addressing a public rally here, Mr Modi, in an indirect reference to the Congress, said the “society of thieves” was ganging up against him to remove him from power.

“The society of thieves is trying to remove the country’s ‘chowkidar’ who is out to expose and catch them,” the PM said.

Stating that the Congress conspired to weaken the country’s defence forces when it was in power between 2004 and 2014, Mr Modi said the NDA government’s prime concern was the safety of the nation.

“Between 2004 and 2014, they conspired to weaken the country’s defence forces. The nation now understands that. And when our government is bringing the defence forces of the country out of their web of conspiracy, they are feeling pricked,” he said.

The PM congratulated defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman for exposing in the Parliament on Friday “those who misled the nation and played with the nation’s security for their own entertainment.”

“I congratulate India’s first woman defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman for exposing those who are toying with country’s national security. These people have alleged links with arrested British national Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore Agusta-Westland VVIP chopper case,” the PM said.