MUMBAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi yet again harped the issue of abrogation of article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir and appealed people to punish the opposition for their misdoings.
Modi was addressing an election rally at Parli in Beed district of Marathwada where Pankaja Munde, a minister in state cabinet and daughter of late party leader Gopinath Munde, is locked in a tough fight against her cousin Dhananjay, who is contesting on a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ticket.
"When BJP decided to abrogate article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, Congress and all others termed it as the murder of democracy. The country will punish the opposition for such misdoings, but Maharashtra has got the first opportunity to do so. People of Maharashtra should make the most of this opportunity," Modi urged the voters.
"By abrogating 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, the union government has given back the have nots and the minorities in the state their rights. But, laden with selfishness, the opposition started opposing the step. We have not done it for politics. We are doing it for the nation. The opposition says democracy is dead. You tell me. Do you feel that democracy is dead?" Modi asked the audience.
Attacking the Congress, the PM said a Congress leader had said that by removing Article 370, we had lost Kashmir entirely. “I've all the record on who said what after the abrogation of article 370. A Congress leader had said, this decision will destroy the country, it’s been 3 months, has the country been destroyed? Another Congress leader said that we’ve lost Kashmir by abrogating Article 370, have we lost Kashmir? If you want to go to Kashmir let me know, I’ll make arrangements,” he said.
"One opposition leader said, abrogation of article 370 is just like murder. Another leader termed it a black day. Yet another leader termed it as a threat to democracy while a Congress leader said, we have lost Kashmir by doing so. This is how the opposition has been speaking. Tell me, have we lost Kashmir?" Modi asked the audience.
"Opposition says, if Hindus were there in Kashmir, the BJP wouldn't have taken the decision. This also shows that the opposition is engaged in Hindu-Muslim politics. Won't you like to punish such people," Modi asked.
"I have a long list of such ill statements of the opposition leaders. If I decide to tell all, we will have to wait till October 21. The country will certainly punish them for their act. But, the first chance has come to Maharashtra to do so and hence, you should not leave the chance. I trust your patriotism," Modi said.
Pitching for the re-election of the Sena-BJP combine in the state, PM Modi said, “Today, if the whole state is behind the BJP-Shiv Sena government, it's because of the hard work we’ve put in in the last five years. On one side, there is the work-ethic of the current government, and on the other is the selfishness of the Congress-NCP leaders.”
Earlier, on his arrival at Parli, Prime Minister Modi, went to Vaidyanath temple and then to the rally venue. He is also scheduled to address a rally at Satara, which will also vote for Lok Sabha bypoll apart from the assembly elections, and in Pune, where the BJP wants to repeat its previous performance of winning all the eight seats in the city. State BJP president Chandrakant patil is contesting from one of the seats in Pune.