 "Narendra Modi Photo: ANI Twitter Handle")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday lashed out at the incumbent Samajwadi Party (SP) and previous Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) regimes for the alleged backwardness of Uttar Pradesh, particularly Bundelkhand region.
Addressing a public meeting at Mahobad district in Bundelkhand, Modi said while one party was embroiled in power struggle within the party, the other party was seeking power to resume their misdeeds; references to SP and BSP respectively.
He maintained only BJP could transform UP into an ''Uttam Pradesh' even as he urged the people to break the cycle of power transfer between SP and BSP in the state. He said underlined Modi was not born to rule, but to serve people.
Modi observed UP had given several PMs to the nation, including himself, and he wanted to do greater work that all the previous PMs put together.
The public meeting marked the launch of the election campaign of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in UP ahead of the 2017 assembly polls.
He was also critical of the role of the SP and BSP governments in the state and alleged funds had been allocated for projects in Bundelkhand, yet nothing was done.
"The land of UP is our mother and we would not let the mother be fleeced anymore," he added.
The PM stressed Bundelkhand remained backward due to political failure of the previous governments, both central and state. "Mafias rule the roost here and they get projects only on paper, while leaving people in the lurch."
Modi observed the prevailing situation in UP was similar to 2014 Lok Sabha polls, when people had en masse voted for BJP, which had swept the elections to form government.
He urged people to send good wishes to soldiers and security personnel guarding the borders during the festival of Diwali.
Meanwhile, he lashed out at people tying to politicise the issue of 'triple talaq' and said the need of hour was to give equal rights to men and women, whilst not seeing the matter through the prism of Hindu or Muslim.
He noted that it was unfortunate some parties wished to deprive Muslim women of their fundamental rights. "It is the responsibility of the government to give justice to Muslim women as enshrined in Constitution."
