Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the Congress and the INDI alliance had come together against him as action was being taken against the corrupt, but “those who are trying to protect the corrupt, let them hear clearly, whatever be their threats, the corrupt will have to go to jail. This is Modi’s guarantee.”

Addressing a BJP election rally in Karauli-Dholpur in Rajasthan, he said action is being taken against corruption not just in Rajasthan, but across the country. This had upset the INDI alliance. While he was campaigning “bhrashtachar hatao (remove corruption),” the INDI alliance says “bhrashtachari bachao (save the corrupt).”

The Congress looked for opportunities to loot even in examinations for jobs, he said. “A paper leak industry developed in Rajasthan under protection from the Congress; and Modi had given guarantee the paper leak mafia will be sent to jail. Has Modi’s guarantee been met or not,” the Prime Minister asked.

Mr Modi said “those who oppose us, this family-based corrupt Congress, looked for profit in difficulties of the poor also. The water scarcity problem of the State grew only because of the neglect by the Congress party. The BJP started the Jal Jeevan Mission and even in this, the Congress tried to make money. The scheme provided water for 1.50 lakh families of Karauli-Dholpur,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the Congress ruled for 60 years and the list of its sins is a long one. But there is one sin which cannot be pardoned. This great sin was they disregarded honour and identity of Rajasthan. The land which was ready to sacrifice for the Madan Mohan idol, the Congress leaders went for appeasement and corruption for votes, and secured demolition of temples and took over their lands.

He said there used to be stone throwing during the Ram Navami shobha yatras. Dholpur provided stones for the Ram temple coming up in Ayodhya after a wait of 500 years, but the Congress spoke against it. They boycotted the Pran Pratishtha. Its INDI partners are even threatening to destroy Sanatan, he said.

The Congress lends silent support to such people, he said. “Is this sin of the Congress pardonable. Should they not be punished? When you press the button on the 19th April polling day, you should have the satisfaction of having punished these people,” Mr Modi said.

The Prime Minister said the Congress plans can be guessed from its current statements. The Congress Prince says abroad India is not a nation. When the country undertakes surgical strikes, the party seeks proof from the armed forces. The Congress is quick to back tukde-tukde gang.

A Congress MP in Karnataka talks of separation of the South, he said. Now the Congress president is also raising questions on the integrity of the country. He questioned the PM talking of Article 370 in Rajasthan, saying what has Rajasthan to do with this.

“I want to tell them that they should ask people whose members sacrificed their lives in Kashmir. The soil of their villages will tell you what Rajasthan has to do with Kashmir. Away from power, the Congress thinking has narrowed. If they can talk like this while being in the Opposition, what will they if they come to power,” the Prime Minister said.

He said the same Congress gave Kachchatheevu island to Sri Lanka. A Congress leader justified it saying none lived there. “Can your land be given if none lives there. What will you then say about large deserts of Rajasthan, this is how you think of your country,” Mr Modi said.

The Prime Minister said “this is their way of thinking, for them an uninhabited land is just a piece of land; at this rate they can hand over uninhabited land of Rajasthan to any country. Not just its past, the future plans of the Congress are also dangerous.”

Mr Modi said the 2024 Lok Sabha election is not just to decide who will become a member of Parliament or not. This election is to give fresh energy to the efforts for Viksit Bharat, developed India. In the last 10 years, the BJP found solution to such problems which the Congress had failed to handle.

He said he is not born to relax, or to enjoy. “Modi works hard, because his goals are high, the goals which concern people of the country and are linked to the future of your children and youth of the country,” he said.

For decades, the Congress gave a slogan for garibi hatao, but it is Modi who took 25 crore people out of poverty, he said. The Congress left the farmers to their fate, but the BJP is continuously working to make them prosperous.

Today, 10 crore farmers of the country are getting Kisan Samman Nidhi; Karauli-Dholpur has more than 3.25 lakh farmers having received Rs 700 crore in their bank accounts, he said. The BJP solved inter-State water disputes.

He said the large turnout at the rally gave a clear message about the 4th June result, Karauli is saying “4 June, 400 paar.” The whole of Rajasthan is saying “phir ek baar, Modi Sarkar (once again, Modi government).”