Armed forces, terrorists and the opposition parties were the subjects Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched in his first campaign rally in Jammu-Kashmir since the announcement of the dates for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking in Jammu’s Akhnoor on Thursday, the PM slammed the opposition parties, including Congress, National Conference (NC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), accusing them of questioning the operations carried out by armed forces against terrorists.

“The entire country is talking in one voice (on surgical strikes and airstrike) and these Congress people are talking in a different voice. Do you accept this language of Congress, of PDP, of NC? Pakistan applauds their language,” he said in this Dogra-majority district with a 92 per cent Hindu population.

Lamenting that it is the grand old party that is raising questions on the capability of the forces, the PM said that he finds it strange that it was once the party of freedom fighters such as Sardar Patel and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

“What is beyond comprehension is Congress’ attitude. Is it the same Congress that Sardar Patel was a part of? Is it the same Congress that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was a part of and fought for India’s independence?” he said.

Hitting out at Pakistan, the PM said that those running terror factories across the border are now living in fear.

“Those who support terrorism are praying that a mahamilavati (grand adulteration) government replaces this chowkidar. But is that acceptable to the nation?” the PM asked as the gathering erupted into slogans in his support.

At the same time, the PM warned terrorist sympathisers across the border as well as inside India that there will be a very heavy cost of any step taken by them against the nation.

The PM also took a swipe at Sam Pitroda and Congress president Rahul Gandhi without naming them.

“The guru of the Congress dynast gave a clean chit to terrorists before the media in India. If the guru is such, what should be expected from the pupil and his friends?” the PM said, adding that raising doubts on the Balakot airstrike is not in India’s interest.

“Congress, NC & PDP are responsible for the problems Jammu & Kashmir faces today. It is because of them that Kashmiri Pandits faced so much trouble. Sadly, national security is not a priority for them, they only care about power,” he said.

Referring to the action taken against terror funding in the state, the PM said that the three opposition parties have lost their sleep as he is changing the “old policy”.

He also told the gathering that the ceasefire violation from across the LoC that has been causing problems for the people residing in adjoining villages will not last for long.

“I am aware of your problems because of Pakistan’s nefarious actions. This won’t continue for long. I assure you that they won’t be able to withstand the retaliation of our forces,” he said.

The Akhnoor rally was the PM’s third today following election campaigning in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut and Uttarakhand’s Rudrapur.

He will address a series of poll rallies over the course of the election season which begins on 11 April and will continue in seven phases till 19 May.

The Prime Minister has already covered 22 states touching over 100 Lok Sabha constituencies in two months before the announcement of the poll dates.