Prime Minister, Narendra Modi today sought votes in the name of strong and ‘Viksit’ Bharat and Himachal Pradesh at a poll rally in Nahan in Shimla Parliamentary constituency in the hill state and asked the people to reject INDI-alliance for its communal, casteist, and ‘parivarvadi’ approach.
Modi alleged that the Congress-INDI alliance was playing a game to take the country to the path of destruction by giving reservations to the Muslims at the cost of other backward classes in the country.
"West Bengal is an example, where the High Court has revoked reservation given to 77 Muslim castes, who were given this benefit overnight in violation of the constitution," he said.
He said Congress never thought about facilitating the poor people in upper castes in 60 years, but the Modi government gave them 10 per cent reservation in education and jobs and there was no protest on this. He said the Congress government never thought about giving reservations to the people in transgiri Sirmaur.
In his first poll rally in Himachal Pradesh for the Lok Sabha polls on June 1, Modi sounded happy with the turnout of people in Sirmaur district. He tried to strike the local chord by mentioning that Himachal was like a home to him as he had worked here long ago when he was in the party organisation.
He opened his speech by saying ‘Ram Ram’ and paying respect to the local deities and said, “I always say with pride that my relationship with Himachal Pradesh is very old. I have a special attachment with this state.” He said the mountains of Himachal Pradesh have taught him to stay strong, work with a cool mind, and be proud.
Modi’s address had repeated references to himself.
He said Himachal Pradesh was a state along the international border and the people of Himachal were strong.
"Modi will not allow anyone to create trouble for you. Jab desh meiy Congress sarkar thee..Pakistan sir pey chadd keiy nachta tha. And Congress government saari jagah guhar legate thee. But Modi has done it. India will not beg before anyone. We will fight our own battle,” he said.
Modi said the Congress party had a problem in saying Bharat Mata Ki Jai, Vandey Mataram, and it had left the border areas of the state to their fate. He said the Congress government in the past was always fearful that if roads were constructed in the border areas, the enemy would enter.
“Such a cowardly view doesn’t match with Modi’s mood. I gave money for the border area development and construction of roads in a big way,” he said.
He attacked Congress for keeping a token of Rs 500 crore for the One Rank One Pension hastily when he as a Prime Ministerial nominee of BJP in 2013, had promised to give One Rank One Pension to the ex-servicemen in the country at an ex-servicemen rally in Rewari.
“It was a mockery of the ex-servicemen and they announced it hastily overnight keeping elections in mind. So far, the NDA government has disbursed Rs 1.25 lakh crore to the ex-servicemen in the country under One Rank One Pension,” he said.
Modi said whenever he gives a guarantee, he fulfills it. Comparing his guarantees with the Congress model, he launched a scathing attack on the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh for not fulfilling its poll guarantees. “Congress gave all those guarantees to come into power. The Congress government did not give anything to the people in the first cabinet. Rather their cabinet broke. They will not last long,” he said.
Modi termed the Congress government in Himachal as a ‘talabaaz sarkar’, which did not give jobs to people and which locked the institution meant for recruitments.
He said he had always had a special concern for Himachal Pradesh and had always thought of development projects for the state, whether it was IIIT, IIM, or bulk drug park.
Modi said five phases of the election have been completed. “It is sure that BJP-NDA is forming the government. I know that Himachal will not vote for the party that is not forming the government,” he said, exhorting the people to vote for Suresh Kashyap in Shimla.
He said the people of Himachal Pradesh should vote for BJP’s hat-trick 4/4 ( Lok Sabha seats) and asked the people to complete the slogan ‘Phir Ek Baar’…’ Modi Sarkar’.
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