Modi targets SP but spares its ally RLD
LUCKNOW : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched the Bharatiya Janata Party’s campaign in western Uttar Pradesh, taking a veiled swipe at the main opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) with terms like “nakli samajwad (fake socialism)”, “badla vs badlav (revenge vs change)” and “kaam vs karnamey (work vs misdeeds)”.
Political experts were quick to notice that while the PM targeted the SP, he spared its prepoll alliance partner Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), a gesture interpreted as part of the BJP’s ongoing efforts to prod RLD’s Jat leader Jayant Chaudhary on the possibility of aligning with the BJP.
The Jat farmers were at the centre of the protest against the BJP over the three farm laws that were subsequently rolled back. Politically, they are a dominant caste in western UP.
Addressing his first virtual rally for 21 assembly constituencies of west UP spread across five districts that go to polls in the first and second phases on February 10 and 14, Modi invoked Dr BR Ambedkar, revered by Dalits, and former Prime Minister the late Chaudhary Charan Singh, a Jat, widely respected in western UP. He also flagged bold decisions of his government like scrapping the instant divorce triple talaq practice to check the exploitation of Muslim women to pitch the BJP as a party that cared for all.
Modi’s virtual rally was due to the election commission’s ban on physical rallies and road shows to check the spread of Covid-19. In his address, Modi lavished praise on chief minister Yogi Adityanath and his government describing it as “gareebon ki bhajapa sarkar (the BJP government of the poor)”.
Yogi Adityanath was linked to the PM’s virtual rally from Agra where he was campaigning on Monday.
Hum UP mein badlav ke liye khud ko khapa rahe hain, jabki wo aapse badla lene ki than ke baithey hain NARENDRA MODI, PM
UP mein badlav ke liye khud ko khapa rahe hain, jabki wo aapse badla lene ki than ke baithey hain (We are focusing on changing UP while they are betting on revenge),” Modi said.
“They have given tickets to such people whose ‘bhasha’ (language), ‘vyavahar’ (conduct), ‘itihaas’ (past), ‘kartoot’ (doings) and ‘karnamey’ (misdeeds) speak for themselves. Revenge is always in their thoughts but I am happy that people in UP are aware and alert against people with such ‘dangai soch (mindset of rioters),” he said.
He also added that it was an election about “hamare kaam (our work) vs unke karnamey (their misdeeds)” while describing his party as “gareebon ki bhajapa sarkar (poor man’s BJP government”.
“Five years back in my west UP campaign, I had promised we would not leave any stone unturned to take the state forward. And in these years, the Yogi Adityanath government has worked wholeheartedly for the people. Who can forget that five years back when this region was burning during the riots, the then government was celebrating?” Modi said in an obvious reference to the familiar BJP charge that while west UP singed in the aftermath of the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, the then SP government was busy with the Saifai Mahotsav. Saifai is the native village of Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Samajwadi Party patron whose government started the practice of Saifai Mahotsav.
Modi also referred to the First War of Independence in 1857, talked about “roti aur kamal (chapattis and lotus flower)” and said after helping the Covid-hit poor with “roti” (free rations), his party has come to the people with “kamal (lotus symbol of the BJP).”
“Back then, during independence struggle “roti aur kamal” had a meaning – the roti stood for togetherness while “kamal” meant that all Indians wanted to see their country bloom like a lotus. And the PM weaved it cleverly in his campaign pitch for the state,” said Irshad Ilmi, a political observer.
“If we remain united, we will stay undefeated,” the PM said while adding that beti-bahu (daughters and daughters-in law) were safe in BJP rule.
PM Modi also said young voters would vote for the BJP.
“The youth would not want UP to slide back to the days when its leaders wouldn’t visit Noida due to the superstitious belief of losing power,” said Modi, who had earlier praised Adityanath for breaking the jinx of a serving chief minister losing power on visiting Noida.
“How can the youth identify with these people who don’t trust Indian scientists and vaccines,” he asked, in an apparent dig at Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav’s previous comment on terming the Covid vaccine as “BJP ki vaccine”. Yadav had subsequently corrected himself and said he had faith in Indian scientists.
“Inka Samajwad nakli hai (their socialism is fake). UP needs a government that embraces ‘adhunikta (modernism) while valuing its ‘virasat’ (cultural heritage),” he said. He also claimed that against 73 houses for the poor in Gautam Budh Nagar (Noida) in five years of SP rule, the Yogi government built 23,000 houses there in the same period, against the SP’s 221 houses in Saharanpur (city), the Yogi government built more than 18000 there and against 800 houses in Muzaffarnagar, Shamli and Baghpat, the BJP government built more than 33,000 houses.
“In all, over 33 lakh houses have been built for the poor and this means that these many poor have become millionaires now. Most of these houses have been given in the name of the family’s women, making them real owners of their houses,” he added.
“The law against triple talaq to help Muslim women, as well as the effort to raise the marriageable of women to 21 years, are part of our steps to ensure that women are able to live their dreams,” he added.
Modi’s address was telecast live to BJP cadres and people in assembly constituencies of Nakur, Behat, Saharanpur (city), Saharanpur (Dehat), Deoband, Gangoh, Rampur Maniharan, Budhana, Purkazi, Charthawal, Muzaffarnagar, Khatauli, Meerapur, Chaprauli, Badaut, Baghpat, Dadri and Jewar among others.
The seven-phase Uttar Pradesh assembly elections will be held between February 10 and March 7. The results will be declared on March 10.