Cong had tied hands of armed forces in acting against terrorism: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday alleged the erstwhile Congress government had stopped armed forces from taking action against terrorism due to the party's vote bank politics.

Addressing a rally in Jamnagar town in the Saurashtra region of poll-bound Gujarat, the prime minister appealed to the people to not allow "urban Naxals" to enter the state.

Polling for 182 Assembly seats in the state will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 8.

"Anarchy, terrorism, nepotism and vote bank politics were rampant during the Congress rule. Congress leaders used to remain mum against those who were involved in spreading anarchy and terrorism. People were feeling insecure. Bomb blasts used to kill people in different parts of the country," he said.

 

The PM said due to the vote bank-oriented politics, Congress had even "tied the hands of our armed forces".

"Congress created hurdles in their work. You cannot fight terrorism with such an approach. You have to take a tough stand against terrorism and give them a befitting reply," he said.

The prime minister said his government has taken a tough stand against such activities.

"Armed forces now kill enemies after entering their territories. The BJP government has a zero-tolerance policy for Naxalites and terrorists," he added.

Modi also spoke about "urban Naxals" who he said will try to disturb Gujarat's peace if they get a chance.

"Nowadays, urban Naxals are planning to enter Gujarat. If they get a chance, they will destroy Gujarat's peace. Please make sure they do not get the chance," he said.

Modi alleged the 2G scam under the UPA-2 regime led to higher Internet charges for the people.

He said India has become the second largest manufacturer of mobile phones and crores of 'Made in India' phones are exported every year to other countries.

"Due to the low cost (of mobile phones), poor people of India can now afford them. Mobile phones have become a tool to empower the poor," he added.

"And what happened under Congress rule in the mobile phone sector? 2G (spectrum allocation) scam. Because of that scam, the Internet has become costly. Had Congress been in power today, your monthly mobile bill would have been around Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 instead of Rs 300- Rs 400. Today, you can make calls for free," the prime minister added.

Before Jamnagar, the PM addressed a rally in Anjar town in Kutch district ahead of the first phase of voting, to be held on 89 seats, on December 1.

While canvassing for BJP candidates of the Kutch region, Modi accused Congress of being friends with those who had tried hard to stop Narmada waters from reaching the parched region of Kutch.

"The Congress is the enemy of Kutch. Its leaders were friends with those who tried every trick in the book to stop Narmada waters from reaching here. The then Congress government at the Centre had also created hurdles in raising the height of the dam," he alleged.