Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a diatribe against the Congress party accusing it of siding with the terror outfits alleging that the grand old party is playing vote bank politics over the years.

Modi, on a two-day whirlwind poll campaign in Odisha, addressing a public meeting said “Congress again and again is creating fear psychosis saying that Pakistan has atom bombs while 26 years back, on this very day, Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led Government Vajpayee carried out nuclear test at Pokhran, making Indians proud internationally”.

It may be noted here that senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar had triggered a controversy by saying that India should engage in dialogue with Pakistan or else the country could end up paying a heavy price. He had also warned Pakistan of having atom bombs which they could drop on India if our governments irked them.

Pakistan’s state of affairs is such that it has become beyond its control to maintain the bombs. They have now come out to sell the bombs. There are no buyers, he said, ridiculing the senior Congress’ leader’s statement.

Because of this enfeebled and weak stand of Congress, Jammu and Kashmir people suffered from terrorism for 60 years. These people (Congress leaders) were holding talks with terrorists’ outfits instead of solving the issue. After the horrifying 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai, they did not muster courage to wipe out the terror network. Because, Congress was scared that its vote bank will go down if action is taken against them, he said.

Taking an indirect dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, he said “Congress’s ‘Shehzada’ is resorting to statements. If we go through his speeches in 2014, 2019 and again in 2014, he is reading the same scripts. Now voters have made up their minds and the NDA will cross 400 seats. BJP will cross all its past records with the maximum number of MPs in Lok Sabha. The Congress will win seats below 10% LS seats and will fail to get the recognition of an Opposition party. It will slip to below 50 seats.

In Odisha, a double engine government will be formed for the first time. State BJP is committed to Odia language and culture. One who is from Odisha and knows, takes pride in the Odia culture will be made the Chief Minister. He will be the people’s chief minister. On 10th June, we invite the people to take part in the swearing-in ceremony of BJP chief minister, Modi added.