After Rahul Gandhi's 'India on fire' remark, PM Modi asks voters to 'wipe out Congress from everywhere'

Rudrapur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched a blistering attack on Rahul Gandhi for his remark suggesting there would be a "conflagration" in the country if the BJP secures a third term.

Kickstarting his Lok Sabha campaign in Uttarakhand from Rudrapur in Udham Singh Nagar district, Modi said staying out of power has made the Congress "desperate" and asked voters to "wipe out the party from everywhere".

"Congress' shehzada has issued a threat that the nation will burn if Modi wins another term. Staying out of power has made them so desperate that they are now talking about setting things on fire. Will you let them do that? Won't you punish them?" Modi remarked while accusing the grand old party of trying to push the country towards instability and anarchy.

At a rally in Delhi's Ramlila Maidan on Sunday, Rahul Gandhi had said that if the BJP wins the election through "match-fixing" and changes the Constitution, then the country would be "set ablaze" and would not survive.

The prime minister also asserted that the action against "the corrupt" will go on.

"Don't you think the corrupt should go to jail? The corrupt are threatening and abusing me. But they can't deter me. Action against each one of them will continue," Modi said.

The prime minister's remarks come amid opposition onslaught on the ruling party in the wake of the arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and JMM leader Hemant Soren in connection with separate corruption cases.

Asking people to further strengthen the BJP, Modi said he has guaranteed to make India the third biggest economy in the world in his third term.

"Modi's guarantee also means fulfilment of the guarantee," the prime minister said.

"Development happens when the intentions are right. Right intentions lead to good results," the prime minister added.