Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a mace at a public meeting for the last phase of Lok Sabha elections, in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, Thursday, May 30, 2024.
Credit: PTI Photo
Hoshiarpur (Punjab): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday attacked the Congress for “ranting” about the Constitution when it was the one that “strangled” it during the Emergency and not care about it when Sikhs were killed in the 1984 riots.
"Sikhs were killed after putting burning tyres around them. At that time, they did not care about the Constitution," Modi said in his last poll rally in the seven-phase election.
At the rally in favour of his party's Hoshiarpur candidate Anita Som Parkash and Anandpur Sahib nominee Subhash Sharma here, the prime minister also touched upon the issues of reservation, corruption and the Ram Temple.
Hitting back at the Congress for its charge that the BJP would scrap the Constitution if voted to power, Modi said, "Nowadays people of the country are hearing rants from INDI alliance about the Constitution. These are the same people who strangled constitution during Emergency".
He also charged that the intentions of the Congress and I.N.D.I.A. bloc over the issue of reservation are "dangerous".
"In the last 10 years, I have always protected reservation for SC/ST/OBCs," he said.
"Congress and INDI alliance are enraged over my efforts. Their intentions on reservation are dangerous. Their complete track record has been to snatch reservation of SC, ST and OBC," he said, adding he has always protected the reservation for SC/ST and OBCs.
Accusing the opposition of insulting the spirit of the Constitution and sentiments of B R Ambedkar, he said they want reservation on the basis of religion in government jobs, in sports, in government tenders and admission in universities.
The prime minister charged that the opposition want to give reservation rights to Muslims after snatching it from Dalits and downtrodden.
"It is a very big conspiracy to divide the country on the basis of religion," he alleged as he slammed the I.N.D.I.A. bloc.
Further attacking the Congress over the issue of corruption, Modi called it "bhasrishtachar ki janni (Mother of corruption) and said the party has done a 'double PhD in corruption".
Training his guns at the AAP, Modi said now kattar bharashtatchri (thoroughly dishonest) has joined hands with the Congress.
"You see they are doing a drama of fighting against each other here (in Punjab). In Delhi, they were fighting together," he said.
Calling AAP also as bhayankar jhoothwadi party, Modi said the AAP formed the first government in Delhi with the support of the Congress.
Alleging that the AAP has learnt lessons of indulging in corruption from the Congress, he said kattar bhrishtachari (AAP) has taken birth from the "womb of the grand old party".
Since its inception, the AAP has been a corrupt party, he alleged.
While the AAP claimed it would wipe out the drug menace from the state, they made drugs as a source of their income after forming government, Modi charged.
"The whole world has now come to know about Delhi liquor scam. Here (in Punjab) illegal mining mafia is rampant. Kattar bharishtachari and bhayankar jhoothvadi (thoroughly corrupt and biggest liars) pushed Punjab into 'gangwar'. They have destroyed industry and farming in Punjab," he charged.
Modi said the politics of selfishness of the Congress and INDI alliance has caused loss to the country.
They continuously opposed Ram Temple and because of the appeasement politics, they are opposing CAA (Citizenship (Amendment) Act), he said.
Modi said after decades such a time has come that a full majority government at the Centre will score a hat-trick as he invoked Guru Ravidas to say that he was the inspiration for working towards the welfare of the poor.
"Welfare of the poor is my government's top priority. And in this big inspiration is of Guru Ravidas," he said while noting that Hoshiarpur is called 'Chotti Kashi' and is 'tapobhoomi' of the guru.
"And see the coincidence, Varanasi, from where I am MP, Guru Ravidas was born there. Therefore, in this pious land of Hoshiarpur, closing of the poll campaign is a matter of pride for me," he said.
Noting that Guru Ravidas said, "man changa to kathoti mein ganga (if a man's heart and intentions are pure, then everything is pure), he said, "I am dedicated to the service of the nation with full honesty and, therefore, people's blessing are with me."
"After decades, such a time has come that a full-majority government at the Centre is going to score a hat-trick. Biggest reason for this is the dream of Viksit Bharat. Today, every Indian is aligned and connected with the Viksit Bharat dream," he asserted.
Guru Ravidas envisioned such a society where there is no discrimination on the basis of caste, he said, adding people are getting benefits of government's schemes without discrimination.
After we form government, in the third term, what the government will do in the next 125 days, how it will do, for whom it will do and for how long, work on this roadmap has been done, he said.
"I had said from the ramparts of the Red Fort, yehi samay hai, sahi samay hai. I am saying this again: the 21st century belongs to India,' he said.
When there is a 'damdar' government in the country, foreign governments also see our 'dum' (might).
And in this brave land of Punjab, who better would know the meaning of 'damdar'. 'Damdar' government is that which teaches lessons to the enemy and strikes inside its territory, one which makes India self-reliant and prosperous, he said.
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