Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said he had stopped the Congress’ “loot” of the country and was therefore receiving abuses, but it was “Modi’s guarantee, the corrupt will have to go to jail; let them give him any threat.”

Addressing a large BJP election rally in Bastar in Chhattisgarh, he said after Independence, the Congress thought it had secured a licence to loot. He cancelled this “licence” when people voted him to power in 2014. “Why should not they abuse him when their licence is cancelled; he is, however, safe as crores of people of the country provide him a protective shield,” he said.

The Prime Minister said during the Congress rule, corruption had become the country’s identity. The worst to suffer from corruption are the poor, as it deprives them of their rightful due, he said.

Before 2014, there were scams of lakhs of crores of rupees. One Congress Prime Minister had said only 15 paise reached the people when one rupee was sent by the Central government. Who took the 85 paise? The Modi government, he said, shut down the “establishment” of loot of the Congress.

He said his government was able to deposit Rs 34 lakh crore in the bank accounts of the poor under various schemes. If it was Congress rule, and just 15 per cent of the amount reached the targeted beneficiary, there would have been a massive loot of public money. As much as Rs 28 lakh crore out of the total Rs 34 lakh crore would have been lost in the “transfers.”

The Prime Minister said tempers have been running high ever since he shut down the middlemen’s commissions, Strict action is being taken against the corrupt in Chhattisgarh also. Those who cheated the youth are under probe. “Angered by this, they are threatening to break my head with a lathi, but Modi is the son of a poor, walks with his head held high, and will not be cowed down by their threats,” he said.

“You tell me, those who looted the poor, should they get the punishment or not? If somebody intrudes into someone’s house and starts looting, everyone in the family joins to retaliate. For Modi, mera Bharat is mera Parivaar (my India is my family). That is why I am trying to save my country, my family from the loot,” he said.

He said, “I say bhrashtachar hatao, they say bhrashtachari bachao.” Mr Modi said the Opposition is not holding rallies for elections, but to save the corrupt. They can give any threat to me, but the corrupt will have to go to jail, this is Modi’s guarantee, he said.

Ram Navami is close, he said, and for the first time in 500 years, Ram Lalla will give darshan in a magnificent temple and not in a tent shelter. Chhattisgarh is Ram Lalla’s maternal home and has special reason to celebrate. The Congress and the INDI alliance are, however, not happy with the Ram temple, he said.

The Congress’ first family had declined the invitation to attend the Pran Pratishtha, he said. Those who disagreed with this were thrown out of the party, and those who attended the ceremony were expelled from the party for six years. This shows that Congress can go to any extent to ensure its policy of appeasement.

The Congress manifesto has the imprint of the Muslim League, he said. The party even today does not care about people’s issues. It is the BJP which is trying to implement all promises made to people.

The Prime Minister said his government’s schemes had brought 25 crore people out of poverty. The Ayushman medical centres were initiated from Bastar only and they are providing free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh. “I know poor mothers are reluctant to put financial burden on their children for their personal medical treatment. That is why I decided to take care of them,” he said.

Crores of people have received treatment under the scheme and they have saved Rs 1.30 lakh crore, he said. Over 11,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendra are providing medicines with 80 per cent discount, as a result of which the poor have saved Rs 30,000 crore. That is why the poor are saying “Modi helps them reduce expenditure and make savings, and raise the slogan of Phir ek baar Modi sarkar (Modi government, once again).”

The BJP always respected the tribals. The Congress always ignored them. Today, a daughter of the tribal society is the President of the country; BJP has given Chhattisgarh its first tribal Chief Minister, raised budget for tribals five times, and even created a separate ministry.

There were less than 125 Eklavya vidyalayas in the whole country, today more than 70 are in Bastar alone. Earlier, MSP was given to eight to 10 jungle produce items, today over 100 items get MSP. Modi is devoting his entire time 24 by 7 to serve the nation and to 2047, the year by which India must be a developed nation, he said.

Modi worshipped those ignored by others, he said. His government has provided for the development of the most backward tribal societies and Rs 24,000 crore has been provided for the PM Jan Man Yojana for adivasis for the first time.

Modi spent Rs 4 lakh crore on free Covid vaccinations and free foodgrains. The free foodgrain scheme has been extended by five years. This will save money of the poor who can meet their other expenses, he said.