‘Congress-RJD protect infiltrators, dislike Lord Ram for vote bank politics’: PM Modi in Bihar
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday accused the opposition RJD-Congress alliance in Bihar of appeasing “infiltrators” while displaying “dislike” for Lord Ram and Chhathi Maiya due to their vote bank politics.
Addressing rallies in Bhagalpur and Araria, Modi alleged that the reluctance of opposition leaders to visit Ayodhya for the ‘darshan’ of shrines dedicated to Nishad Raj, Mata Shabri and Maharshi Valmiki reflected their “hatred” for Dalits and backward classes.
“The naamdaar (Rahul Gandhi) of Congress called devotion to Chhathi Maiya a drama. They never visit Ayodhya to have a darshan of Lord Ram. I can understand their dislike for Lord Ram, but at least they could pay respects at the shrines of Nishad Raj, Mata Shabri and Maharshi Valmiki. Their reluctance shows their contempt for Dalits and backward classes,” Modi said.
The Prime Minister charged that the opposition’s politics of appeasement has led them to protect “infiltrators”. “The NDA is committed to driving out every infiltrator from the country. But the Congress-RJD protect them, take out yatras in their favour and spin misleading narratives,” he alleged, in an apparent reference to Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’.
Modi said that whenever the RJD-Congress come to power, they attempt to give “backdoor entry” to infiltrators. “They do it for vote bank politics, but it ultimately harms the people. Infiltrators claim a share in what rightfully belongs to citizens,” he said.
Taking aim at the opposition’s record in Bihar, Modi said, “During 15 years of jungle raj, Bihar saw zero development, no highways, no bridges, no centres of higher learning. Under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the NDA has worked hard to bring the state out of that era.”
Listing recent achievements, he said the state now has expressways, bridges over major rivers, four central universities and other institutions of higher education. “Only the NDA can ensure this journey of growth continues uninterrupted,” he asserted.
Referring to the ongoing polling in 121 of the 243 Assembly segments in the first phase of elections, Modi said he was encouraged by the turnout. “Our mothers, sisters and daughters have created a veritable fortress at polling booths to thwart the return of jungle raj,” he said.
He urged voters to remember the power of one vote, saying it had first brought social justice to Bihar and later ousted the “15-year jungle raj”, which he said was marked by katta (country-made guns), kroorta (cruelty), katuta (bitterness), kushasan (misgovernance) and corruption.
“In the RJD’s curriculum, ‘a’ stands for apharan (kidnapping), ‘f’ for firauti (ransom) and ‘p’ for parivarvaad (dynasty rule),” he said, adding that Congress’s dictionary “doesn’t have words like swadeshi and atmanirbharta.”
Accusing the two parties of fomenting social strife, Modi said the RJD was responsible for caste violence and the Congress for “communal riots like the infamous Bhagalpur riots of 1989, which was as much of a blot as the anti-Sikh violence of 1984.”
He also alleged that both parties were controlled by “the most corrupt families in Bihar and the country” and claimed infighting had already begun between them. In apparent reference to Gandhi he said “People say the Congress naamdaar didn’t even want to come to Bihar and was forcibly brought here. Now he is damaging the RJD. After elections, all these INDI Alliance partners will be seen breaking each other’s heads,” Modi said.
He further alleged that the RJD had “put a katta to the Congress’s head” to name Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial candidate, and that the Congress, humiliated after its leader was dropped from RJD posters, was “out to avenge the insult.”
Referring to Vikassheel Insan Party founder Mukesh Sahani, Modi said even the alliance’s deputy CM candidate was now speaking out against “jungle raj.”
“The jungle raj wallahs once lorded over you as if they were masters. Modi believes the people are his mai-baap, his family,” he concluded.