Launching the BJP’s election campaign in Odisha’s Koraput district, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday accused the opposition of questioning the integrity and capability of the armed forces and the scientists.

PM Modi was referring to the opposition parties questioning the IAF strike on JeM camp in Balakot on February 26 and the Mission Shakti operation in which India’s anti-satellite ASAT missile successfully destroyed a target satellite in the Low Earth Orbit (LWO).

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He said while Pakistan, even after a month, was still busy counting the bodies of terrorists killed in the IAF strike, the opposition was asking for proof.

“By doing this, they only insult our scientists and our soldiers,” he said while addressing a public rally in Koraput.

“Tell me, do you want such people who insult our forces and our scientists?” the PM asked.

“It’s about time to give an apt answer to people who are insulting the capabilities of our scientists and the armed forces,” the PM further said.

On the Mission Shakti operation, PM Modi said: “India is now even doing chowkidari (role of a watchman) even in space”.

India has now become a space power and that is something that the world has now noticed, he said, adding that while the country is proud of its scientists, the opposition is constantly blaming, questioning, criticizing and insulting such feats.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced that India has become the fourth country in the world to become a space superpower capable of taking out an enemy satellite in space.

In Odisha, where simultaneous polls are being held for the parliament and state assembly, the PM came down heavily both on the Congress and the BJD.

“A BJP government at the Centre and state ( double engine) is a sure prescription for development,” he said.

“The Congress has betrayed the poor, the tribals and farmers just as the BJD has done here in Odisha. Both ruled the state and failed the people; give BJP a chance,” he said while promising rapid progress.

Targeting the BJD, the PM said those who robbed the poor by way of the chit fund scam and who allowed mining mafia to loot the state cannot be trusted to alleviate poverty.

“Women are unsafe in Odisha, tribals are deprived of benefits,” he charged while imploring people to “ give a chance to the chowkidar”.

He lambasted the BJD government for rejecting the Ayushman Bharat scheme and depriving the poor of health care.

“The BJD government here did not provide the required list of farmers for the PM KISAN scheme. Crores of farmers across the country are benefiting from the scheme but sadly there is not a single farmer on the list,” he said, adding that the Naveen Patnaik government is a failure.

On the development front, PM Modi said the BJP has been developing road infrastructure across Odisha and has ensured that there is a seamless flow of funds to ensure that good roads reach the remotest villages in Odisha.

He further said his party has empowered Self Help Groups to provide employment to the youth and women in the state. Under MUDRA Yojana, they are being given collateral-free loans, he said.

Prior to launching the election campaign in Odisha, PM Modi said the saffron party will fulfil the aspirations of the people of Odisha.

In his twitter post written in Odia language, Modi said the ruling BJD has failed to meet the aspirations of the people while the Congress was unable to emerge as a credible opposition.

“Odisha deserves a good government and the BJP will provide it,” Modi said in the tweet.

Modi is on a visit to Jeypore in Koraput district on Friday for addressing his first election rally in eastern India. He is also scheduled to address another election meeting at Kalahandi on April 2.

From there, the prime minister will travel to the two Telugu states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana today.

Polling in both Koraput and Kalahandi will be held in the first phase on April 11.

Simultaneous polling will be held in Odisha for the 21 Lok Sabha seats and the 147 assembly constituencies in four phases on April 11, 18, 23 and 29.