Addressing the first of three rallies in national capital New Delhi on Saturday, Bharatiya Janata Party prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi accused the ruling Congress Party and the UPA-II Government, which it leads, of trying to repeatedly malign his image in the eyes of the Indian public, but warned that such attacks and strategies would not work.
"The Congress is trying to malign my image among the people, but this will not work. The Congress has a section, which don't carry the flags of the party, but protect the Congress from attacks. It has become the fashion of the day in politics. Elections are being held in Delhi and Rajasthan, but our leaders at the Centre (Read Congress) want answers from the Government of Gujarat," said Modi at the BJP rally in Shahdara.
Modi further said and asked: "These elections are being fought by the people,not just by leaders and parties. Why is it that the princes of Rajasthan and Delhi have an ego that is in seventh heaven?"
He also questioned the need of people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh heading for national capital Delhi in search of a livelihood. He claimed that this was entirely due to a very poor level of governance and non-fullfillment of development-related initiatives.
He asked: "If Bihar and UP were developed in the last 60 years, would people leave their families and come to Delhi for work?"
Apparently and presumably referring to Prime Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said:
"A senior Congress minister thinks he is very clever. He thinks when God was distributing brains, he was the first one to get it
"The Prime Minister of the country is a person who thinks he has all the brains, and everyone else is brainless. A minister had said prices are rising because the poor are eating two vegetables now. Tell me, are prices rising due to this?" Modi asked BJP supporters at the rally.
"Our Prime Minister is a big economist. We never comment on that aspect. Finance Minister (P.Chidambaram) is also very educated. We never challenge that...but now, they have ruined the country. Neither Narasimha Rao nor Vajpayeeji (former prime ministers) were considered economists, but still you could have learnt from them," Modi added, while establishing a contrast between BJP leaders and Manmohan Singh.
"Both Narasimha Rao and Atalji knew about the problems faced by the common people," he said
Further targetting the Congress Party, he said: "All your abuses on Twitter, Facebook, at press conferences, behind closed doors and your allegations, all these were made by you in Gujarat last year. But despite your dirty tricks and every effort, the people of Gujarat have refused to believe you. Do not think you can try these tricks anywhere."
The BJP leader claimed that the people of India no longer trusted the Congress anymore due to the sins of their leaders.
He asked the people of the country not to limit themselves by seeking to know what his vision for the nation was, but to go ahead and ask political entities like the Congress the same question.
"There is a group of people, they keep asking me- what is your vision? Have they asked the Congress?" said Modi.
"One reason is, they think the BJP is coming to Delhi. The other reason is they would want to save Congress," he added.
He pointed out that prices had not risen while the state was under BJP rule, but only under Congress rule.
"And then, after this, the Congress mocks the poor. When outsiders come, can't we welcome them?" asked Modi.
"But, they do not want to do anything," Modi said, adding that issue was not of the brand of politics being pursued, but the intention in pursuing such forms of engagement.
He also said it was a lie that power tariff is costlier in Gujarat than in in Delhi.
