INDIA bloc plans 5 PMs in 5 years: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the Congress-led INDIA bloc is mulling a “one year, one PM” formula after coming to power which means the country will see five prime ministers in five years, a jibe over the apparent lack of consensus in the Opposition camp on its PM face.
Addressing a campaign rally at Kolhapur in western Maharashtra, Modi also said the opposition bloc cannot even reach a three-digit figure or even “at the doorstep of forming a government”.
“They are thinking of (implementing) ‘one year, one PM’ formula. If they get an opportunity to remain in power for five years, there will be five prime ministers. But the country won’t tolerate such people who are dreaming of imposing five prime ministers
in five years.” he said.
Modi said the Congress had planned to rotate the post of the chief minister in Karnataka by handing it to the deputy CM after 2.5 years, and such an
arrangement was also planned for Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.
“They are playing this game there,” he said.
The Congress wants to change the Constitution and rob Dalits, and OBCs of quota benefits for religion-based reservation, he said.
Modi also accused the Congress of planning to extend the “Karnataka model wherein
Muslims were inducted in the 27 per cent quota for OBCs”, in the entire country.
“The Congress-led alliance has vowed to murder social justice,” he said and accused the Congress of stooping low for appeasement and vote bank politics.
Modi claimed the Congress and its allies changed their strategy and turned to “anti-national agenda” and “appeasement” tactics “after realising that they cannot compete with NDA on its development record”.
“Before elections, I had said it is the ‘Viksit Bharat ke sankalp ka chunav’. But the moment, the Congress and its alliance partners realised that they could not compete with NDA on its development track record, they changed their strategy and shifted to antinational agenda and appeasement tactics,” he said.
These people from the Opposition are talking about repealing CAA and restoring Article 370, but no one has the courage to change this decision of Modi, he said.
The ruling Mahayuti alliance comprising BJP, Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, and NCP led by Ajit Pawar, has fielded Sanjay Mandlik and Dhairyasheel Mane from Kolhapur and Hatkanangale constituencies, respectively.
Giving the football analogy, Modi said the National Democratic Alliance is leading 2-0 in the first two phases of elections. “Kolhapur is a popular football hub in Maharashtra, and football is immensely popular among the youth here. So, if I may explain in football terms, after yesterday’s second phase polling, BJP and NDA are ahead by 2.0 goals,” he said. Modi further said the Congress and the INDI alliance have scored two “self-goals” through their anti-India policies and politics of hate.
“The football carrier’s responsibility lies with the people of Kolhapur who will hit such a goal that the INDI alliance will be vanquished in the coming rounds of elections,” he said.
Modi said these people (read the Opposition bloc) are venting their anger on the country. In Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Congress and INDI alliance leaders are talking about breaking south India to make a new country, he said.
“Will the people from the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who brought land from Peshawar in th north to Thanjavur in the south under Hindvi Swarajya, allow this scheme? They (INDI alliance) should get a befitting reply,” he added. Modi said the Congress had not only opposed the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya but also declined the invitation for its consecration.
“The Congress has stooped so low. The trustees of Ram Temple in Ayodhya are good people. They decided to forgive the past sins of Congress and handed invitations to Congress leaders by visiting their homes. But they declined the invitation. Will anyone ever decline the invitation to go to Lord Ram’s darbar?” he asked. Modi said Iqbal Ansari, a former litigant in the Ram JanmabhoomiBabri Masjid title suit, too attended the consecration ceremony whereas Congress declined the invitation.
Targeting Rahul Gandhi over wealth distribution, Modi said, “The Congress shehzade wants to search your wealth and distribute it to those who the party had said have the first right on the country’s resources”. “The Congress wanted to impose inheritance tax and rob people of their inheritance. Such people shouldn’t get even a slight chance of coming to power. For appeasement, Congress can go to any extent,” he added. Modi criticised DMK over remarks made by some of its leaders over Sanatan Dharma and termed the Tamil Nadu-based party as Congress’ “khas”. “It (DMK) is abusing Sanatan dharma and calling it dengue”. clashes since May last year. Kharge said that while party leader Rahul Gandhi led the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ crisscrossing the country, Modi was working for ‘Bharat todo’ or dividing the nation. “Prime Minister Modi is continuously attacking the Congress and the Gandhi family as he is scared and trembling in fear of losing power,” he claimed.
“One who can’t feel the pain of the poor does not have the right to stay in power,” Kharge added.
On the employment scenario in the country, he claimed, “Joblessness is a major issue in India, with 65 per cent of the educated youths being jobless. We will reserve 50 per cent of posts for women. We will give Rs 1 lakh as apprenticeship stipend to every unemployed youth during his or her training period till he or she gets a proper job.”
Kharge addressed the massive crowd seeking votes for party candidates Deep Bayan for Barpeta constituency and Garjan Mushahary for Kokrajhar.
“You (Modi) always ask what Congress has done in 70 years. We ruled for 55 years and created the wealth that you and (Amit) Shah are selling now. You are destroying everything,” he added.
Kharge also attacked Modi for raking up food habits of people, and Mughal tenure in India. “Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat and he did nothing there,” he alleged, while criticising the Prime Minister for failing to control rising prices of essential commodities such as petrol, diesel and LPG, among others.
Slamming Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over an earlier post regarding caste system in India, Kharge claimed Sarma supports ‘Manusmriti’ and caste hierarchy as described in the book. “He said Shudras should serve the higher castes. Such a person is your CM. I am ashamed that if such an educated person speaks like this, how will the country progress? If such Manuvadi thinking is there, how will we get equality?” he questioned.
was to procure and obtain some statement against Kejriwal and as soon as the statement was taken, the mission of the probe agency was accomplished and thereafter, co-accused were neither arrested nor any further statements were taken.
It claimed the malicious intent of ED in conducting the investigation was apparent from its deliberate concealment of statements made by co-accused individuals where either no allegations were made or allegations were explicitly denied. Kejriwal also said there is no link whatsoever established by the ED to claim that an amount of Rs 45 crore was transferred by the South group as advanced kickback which was then utilised by AAP in Goa elections.
“Not a single rupee was traced back to the AAP, and the allegations put forth in this regard are devoid of any tangible evidence, rendering them vague, baseless without any corroboration,” the rejoinder said.
In his reply, Kejriwal said he has always cooperated with the investigation. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said the ED, in its reply affidavit filed in the apex court, has said that one of the reasons which necessitated his arrest was that he did not remain present before the investigating officer (IO) despite being summoned nine times.
Kejriwal said the ED has said in its reply that in such a case, the IO was justified in forming an opinion that custodial interrogation would lead to “a qualitatively more elicitation orientated” questioning of the accused.
“The aforementioned tenor, text and contents of the reply leave no manner of doubt that the ED has acted in a most highhanded manner in a gross affront to the due process of law,” he said. Kejriwal further claimed that a cumulative reading of the ED’s stand in its reply would expose the “bogey and blatant falsehood” in the conduct of its proceedings.
He said the record would reveal that each and every summons issued to him was duly responded to while seeking vital details and information, which under no circumstances can be claimed to be privileged or confidential by the ED. Kejriwal claimed that the ED has never spelt out the alleged non-cooperation by him. “What was the requirement in not calling the petitioner (Kejriwal) either through an authorised agent or seeking information or documents from him in writing or through a virtual mode and insisting on his presence physically in person, is not forthcoming,” he said. The AAP leader said his plea deserves to be allowed and he is entitled to be released forthwith.
In his reply, Kejriwal emphasised circumstances surrounding his arrest, highlighting that the ED had detained a sitting chief minister and the national convenor of one s of India’s six national parties.
This action, he argued, took place merely five days after the general elections were announced and the Model Code of Conduct was implemented. In its reply affidavit filed in the apex court
earlier this week, the ED has claimed that Kejriwal is the “kingpin and key conspirator” of the excise policy scam and the arrest of a person for an offence based on material can never violate the “concept of free and fair elections”.
The ED also claimed that Kejriwal worked in collusion with his ministers and AAP leaders and was also involved in “demanding kickbacks” from liquor businessmen in exchange for favours granted in the policy.
Terming Kejriwal’s petition challenging his arrest as “devoid of merit” and liable to be dismissed, the ED has said the material that formed the basis for the satisfaction of the IO for arresting him had been perused by different courts. The ED arrested Kejriwal on March 21 after the Delhi High Court refused to grant him protection from coercive action by the federal antimoney laundering agency. He is currently lodged in Tihar jail under judicial custody.