The Asian Age

Modi: Cong knows it cannot win 2024 polls Polls all about giving Modi 3rd term: Shah

‘It has not shed its mindset of imposing Emergency’

- AMRESH SRIVASTAVA with agency inputs NEW DELHI/GANDHINAGA­R, APRIL 19

Wardha (Maharashtr­a), April 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the Congress’ mindset of “shackling the Constituti­on” and imposing Emergency had not changed, and the Opposition’s INDIA grouping did not have any pro-developmen­t ideas.

Speaking at a campaign rally for the BJP candidates from Wardha and Amravati Lok Sabha constituen­cies in eastern Maharashtr­a, he also said the Congress knows it cannot win the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, and therefore its “yuvraj” (apparently referring to Rahul Gandhi) was threatenin­g that the country will be on fire if the BJP won.

Against the BJP’s developmen­t agenda, the Congress and INDIA bloc are bereft of any ideas, the Prime Minister said, adding that polling for the first phase of the elections, which began earlier in the morning, showed that his government was set to win a third term.

“When its ‘yuvraj’ says the country will be set ablaze, (it indicates that) Congress’ mindset of shackling the Constituti­on and imposing Emergency has not changed,” Mr Modi said, apparently referring to Rahul Gandhi’s reported remarks. Wardha and Amravati will vote in the second phase on April 26. The Prime Minister added that each and every vote

Accompanie­d by Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel, Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday submitted his nomination papers for the Gandhinaga­r Lok Sabha seat to the district collector and election officer M.K. Dave in the state capital at exactly 12.39 pm, a time considered to be “Vijay muhurat”. After completing the nomination formalitie­s, Mr Shah said that this general election is all about giving a third term to Prime Minister Modi in office.

Speaking to the media, Mr Shah said Modi’s third term will be crucial because his first two terms went into correcting the mistakes made by the previous Congress-led UPA government.

from Maharashtr­a should be for developmen­t. “INDIA alliance leaders in Tamil Nadu want destructio­n of Sanatan (dharma), and (yet) in Maharashtr­a they are called to speak at rallies. The Congress boycotted the Ram temple pran pratishta (consecrati­on). On the first Ram Navmi

Thanking the BJP for renominati­ng him from the seat once represente­d by stalwarts Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani, the Union home minister said the seat holds significan­ce also because Mr Modi is a registered voter from Gandhinaga­r.

“I have been associated with this seat for the last 30 years. Before becoming an MP, I was an MLA from the Assembly segments that fall under this seat. Thanks to your love, I rose from a humble booth worker to becoming a member of Parliament now. People of Gandhinaga­r gave me their blessings whenever I sought their votes,” he said.

Speaking with the media, the Union home minister said that developmen­tal works of more than `22,000 crores were undertaken in the Gandhinaga­r Lok Sabha seat in the last five years.

(after the event), ‘Surya tilak’ was done using Sun’s rays and the country was filled with devotion. But an INDIA alliance leader called it a sham. This is the real face of Congress,” Mr Modi said. ‘Make the Congress pay for its sins in Maharashtr­a,” the Prime Minister added.

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