PM, Shah mount attack on Cong for ‘ignoring growth and security’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday raised the pitch in election-bound Gujarat by intensifying their attack on the Congress over a range of issues, and urged voters to re-elect the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state.

Modi took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra, and Shah attacked the opposition party for allegedly compromising with development and national security during their rule at the Centre.

Elections to the 182-member Gujarat assembly will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5, respectively. The results will be announced on December 8. Addressing a gathering in Surendranagar town, Modi took a swipe at Gandhi’s nationwide rally, saying people who were dethroned long back were taking out a “yatra” to get back in power.

He also alleged that instead of talking about development, the Congress was saying it will show him his “aukat” (status). “Some people are doing foot march to get back to power. They are also taking along those who had stalled the Narmada project for 40 years through litigation and kept Gujarat thirsty for 40 years,” he said, referring to the Narmada Bachao Andolan spearheaded by activist Medha Patkar, who took part in the Congress rally in Maharashtra.

“In this election, the people of Gujarat will punish those who are doing this padyatra. People will also punish those who were against the Narmada project,” he said, without taking any names.

The PM also hit out at the opposition party for attacking him. “In the past, the Congress used words like neech aadmi (vile man), maut ka saudagar (merchant of death) and naali ka keeda (an insect) for me...,” he said, adding that he swallowed such insults because his focus is to make India a developed nation. In Jambusar, the PM praised the “double-engine government” – a reference to the BJP being in power both at the Centre and in the state. Shah, who addressed three rallies, also targeted the Congress. “After the abrogation of Article 370 [giving special status to Jammu and Kashmir] by Narendra

Modi, there has been peace... Before that, during the 10 years of Sonia Gandhi-Manmohan

Singh government, any “Alia Maliya or Jamalia’ from Pakistan used to enter our borders and behead our soldiers...,” he said.

Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said: “The PM does not speak about the high price rise and inflation.”