 "Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad to pay price for insulting Biharis: PM Modi")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday targeted Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Prasad, saying both will pay a price for insulting and abusing Biharis after being tired of abusing him.
He was referring to the allegation that people attending Modi's rallies were paid- participants.
Addressing first of his two election rallies on Friday in Gopalganj district, about 165 km from Patna, Modi said this election will take BJP-led National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) successful journey forward.
"Now that you are tired of abusing Modi, you are abusing Biharis. They have alleged that people who come in Modi rallies are brought after being paid money. Isn't this an insult to all Biharis?
"They will pay a price for it," Modi said in reference to Nitish and Lalu, few hours before the end of campaigning for the fourth phase of polls.
"Nitish Babu call me whatever you want to, but don't hurt the sentiments of Biharis," he said.
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Modi said NDA is running a successful election campaign and the way the leaders of the Grand Alliance are reacting shows how much popular NDA is among the people.
"You had faith in me during 2014 Lok Sabha elections, do the same now and I will finish bhai-bhatijawad and bhrashtachaar (nepotism and corruption)," he said.
The prime minister said Bihar is today angry because it is asking for the accounts of the work done in last 25 years, "which you are not willing to give. This election is also to punish those who have looted Bihar in last 25 years".
Modi said Gopalganj is "dear to Laluji but what did Gopalganj get, didn't the area became a mini-Chambal (an area where dacoits once held sway) during his 15 years of jungle raj".
"Nitish Babu says return me the old days, does he want those days when kidnappings happened, women were not safe, crimes against Dalits happened? Then Nitish babu you may want the old days for staying in power, but the people of Bihar don't want them back," Modi said.
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The prime minister said the solution for all the problems in Bihar is "development". He reiterated that India would develop only if Bihar developed.
Modi reiterated his three-point development agenda for Bihar including "Padhai (Education), Kamai (Employment) and Dawai (Health)".
"Development is my agenda in Bihar. If there are no industries here, youth here will not get jobs. Without electricity how will industry come? They had promised electricity but what happened? Bihar needs 24-hour power for industry so that the youth can get jobs," he said.
The fourth phase of the Bihar assembly elections is slated to be held on November 1 in 55 of the 243 assembly constituencies of Bihar.
The Bihar elections began on October 12 and the fifth and final phase of voting will be held on November 5. The counting of votes will take place on November 8.