 "Modi, Narendra Modi")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of insulting India's rajas and maharajas, but remaining silent on the atrocities committed by nawabs, nizams, sultans and badshahs for the sake of appeasement politics.
Addressing back-to-back rallies in Belagavi, Sirsi, Davangere and Hosapete, he also continued his attack against the Congress on the "inheritance tax" issue and targeted the party's government in Karnataka on law and order, corruption and development issues.
"The BJP is working on increasing the assets of the people, but Congress's shehzada (referring to Rahul Gandhi) and his sister (Priyanka Gandhi Vadra), both are announcing that if they come to power, they will do an 'X-ray' of the country," Modi said.
"They will X-ray your property, bank lockers, lands, vehicles, also 'streedhan' and ornaments of women, gold, the 'mangalsutra'. These people will raid every house and capture your assets. After capturing, they are talking about redistributing it, they want it to give it to their loved vote bank...will you allow this loot to happen?" he asked.
"I want to warn the Congress," Modi said. "Let go of this intention. Until Modi is alive, I will not allow it..."
Modi said, "Congress has ensured the writing of our history and our freedom struggle with an eye on appeasement and vote bank. Even today, the Congress's shehzada (prince) is carrying forward that sin. You might have heard Congress' shehzada's recent statement -- he says Bharath's rajas and maharajas were atyachari (oppressive)."
"He (Gandhi) has accused them (rajas and maharajas) of usurping the lands and properties of people and poor... Congress' shehzada has insulted great personalities like Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Kittur Rani Chennamma, whose administration and patriotism inspires us even today," the prime minister said.
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Recalling the contribution of the erstwhile Mysuru royal family, and saying they are respected across the country even today, Modi added, "The Congress' shehzada's statements were intentional, aimed at vote-bank politics and appeasement."
"Shahzada spoke ill about raja-maharajas, but the shehzada's mouth was locked regarding the 'atyachar' that nawabs, nizams, sultans and badshahs committed in India's history. His mouth was shut on them, but on raja-maharajas he speaks ill and insults them," he said.
Alleging that Gandhi cannot remember Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's oppressions, Modi said, "He (Aurangzeb) made a number of our temples impure and destroyed them. Congress is happily making alliances with parties that praise Aurangzeb...they don't remember people who destroyed our religious places, indulged in killing, killing of cows. They don't remember the nawab, who played a role in the partition of India."
He recalled the contributions of the Raja of Banaras in setting up Banaras Hindu University, and Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar in the reconstruction of temples.
The Congress's shehzada doesn't remember the contributions of rajas and maharajas. For the sake of the vote bank, he shows the guts to speak against rajas and maharajas, but doesn't have the courage to speak against nawabs, sultans and badshahs," he said, adding that Congress's "appeasement mindset" has come out in the open before the country, and that it reflects in their manifesto.
Since the time Congress came to power in Karnataka, the law and order in the entire state has worsened. Citing the recent murder of Hubballi student Neha Hiremath on her college premises, which created a "sensation" in the country, he claimed that despite the family seeking action, Congress government gave priority to appeasement.
Even when there was a bomb blast in a Bengaluru's cafe, the Congress government did not take it seriously initially; they even termed it a cylinder blast initially. "Why are you -- Congress -- lying to the people of the country. If you can't, leave and go home," Modi said.
The Congress, for the sake of votes, is taking the support of the banned PFI -- the anti-national organisation that supported terrorism, he claimed. "To win one seat in Wayanad, are you surrendering to them? BJP has banned PFI and has put its leaders behind bars." he said.
Stating that those who turned down the invitation for the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya will be rejected by the people in Lok Sabha elections, Modi attacked the Congress and its allies.
A decision on building the Ram temple should have been taken the very next day of the country's independence, he said.
He also alleged that the "same forces" tried till the last minute to ensure that the Ram temple was not built and had approached the court on the last day as well.
Moreover, Modi claimed that the INDIA bloc has come up with a "formula" under which the parties in the opposition alliance will get the PM's post for one year each, in case they come to power.
"With such a system, the good of the country cannot be expected," he said, as he urged the people not to waste their vote.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
