Stepping up his attack on Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday alleged that its agenda was anti-development and anti-nation and even recalled the serial blasts of Dilsukhnagar in Hyderabad to accuse the Opposition party of opting for a soft touch towards terrorism during its tenure.

The prime minister claimed that the Congress won’t be able to form government at the Centre this time.

Advertisement

Mr Modi addressed two consecutive rallies today, first in Mahabubnagar, followed by Hyderabad in the last leg of his campaign in Telangana where polling will be held on 13May for the 17 Lok Sabha seats.

Accusing the Congress government in Telangana of lining their own pockets with central funds, Mr Modi said it has become a photocopy of the BRS and a manufacturing hub of fake videos. He then urged voters not to waste their vote on the BRS since it would only help the Congress, particularly as the latter would not be able to form government at the Centre.

His speech in Mahabubnagar was liberally peppered with allegations that the “Congress was out to make Hindus second class citizens in their own country” and that the Opposition party “hates Hindus”. Attacking Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, he said, “Before elections the “Shahzade” of Congress had come up with his ‘Mohabbat ke dukan'(shop of love). But once elections arrived, he is got busy mixing poison in society.”

Taking a jibe at Sam Pitroda, he said the party feels Ram Mandir should not have been built and the temple and observing the festival of Ram Navami were against the very idea of India.

Speaking on the reservations for Muslim under the OBC quota, the prime minister alleged, “Congress knows this will increase illegal conversion but still is not backing out because the party does not care either for the Hindus or for the country.”

He thundered, “Between Congress’ anti-development and anti-national agenda there is only one rock which is standing and that is Modi.”

In Hyderabad, the prime minister even spoke a few lines of the local dialect “Dakhni” as he said, “Telangana is saying Congress nakko (no) BRS nakko, MIM nakko BJP koinch jitayenge (We will ensure BJP’s victory),” much to the delight of the massive crowd that had gathered to listen to his speech.

Displaying his customary oratory skills, he went on to say that on 4 June, the country would win, and the Opposition would lose and so would all those who had opposed the CAA, the Uniform Civil Code and spoke of vote jihad, and supported Article 370, Triple Talaq, corruption and appeasement. He said BRS and the Congress had let loose the AIMIM in the Old City area.

The prime minister advised the older generation to share with first generation voters about the situation of the country during Congress rule.

Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, who was also in Telangana, slammed the prime minister and his party for skirting around the key issues and choosing to only abuse the Congress.

“They don’t talk about their manifesto, they also don’t talk about the work they have done, development work. They only abuse Congress and twist the speeches of Congress (leaders) or calling our party leader Shahzade – all these things are not required,” said Kharge.

He said, “You are scared of Congress. And when they are scared such people use this kind of language. Sometimes they say Mughal, mutton, chicken, beef, Muslim league or mangalsutra. Modiji seems to favour words starting ‘M’”.