Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a blistering attack on the opposition Congress, charging that its poll manifesto bore the imprint of Muslim League and utterances of its leaders betrayed hostility towards national integrity and Sanatan Dharma.
Addressing a rally in Nawada district, his second in Bihar in 72 hours, Modi also recounted the 'jungle raj' that prevailed when the state was ruled by the Congress-Rashtriya Janata Dal combine, showering praises on his ally Nitish Kumar and ailing BJP colleague Sushil Kumar Modi for turning things around as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister respectively.
"The manifesto that the Congress has released bears the imprint of the Muslim League. It has not released a poll manifesto but a declaration of appeasement (tushtikaran patra)," alleged Modi.
The Prime Minister also came down heavily on All India Congress Committee president Mallikarjun Kharge, without mentioning him by name, who recently objected to raising the issue of abrogation of Article 370, by BJP leaders, during poll campaigns in states like Rajasthan.
"The post of the national president of the Congress is not a small thing. And the leader thinks Article 370 has nothing to do with Rajasthan. Is Jammu and Kashmir not an integral part of the country? His thinking betrays the mindset of tukde-tukde gang," alleged Modi.
He pointed out that security personnel from all over the country, including Rajasthan and Bihar, have laid down their lives fighting terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, and "their bodies have reached their native places wrapped in tricolour".
"The INDIA bloc talks a lot about the Constitution. Their leaders should tell the people why they could not implement the Samvidhan of Baba Saheb Ambedkar fully in Jammu and Kashmir. Why did it take a Modi to do so?" asked the PM.
In an apparent reference to controversial remarks of Karnataka MP D K Suresh, the PM said, "You can understand the Congress' mindset from the statement of one of its very senior leaders who openly called for making south India a separate nation."
Modi, who was in the Bihar district to campaign for BJP candidate Vivek Thakur, said, "I wonder what hostility the Congress has towards popular sentiments. Its leaders did not turn up at pran pratishtha even though the temple at Ayodhya was constructed with donations made by the common people, not with government funds."
"When some of the Congress leaders came out in favour of the Ram temple at Ayodhya, they were slapped with expulsions," said the PM, in a veiled reference to Acharya Pramod Krishnam, who was sacked by the party after he criticised it for skipping the event.
The PM also said that while his government boldly acted against "anti-women" practices like 'triple talaq', the Congress and its allies were busy denigrating Sanatan Dharma.
"The festival of Ram Navami is approaching. Do not forget the sins of these people," said Modi, who also claimed there was "sir futavval (infighting)" within the INDIA bloc in which "one senior leader has refused to take part in campaign unless he is projected as the Prime Ministerial candidate".
Modi also lauded Nitish Kumar, the Janata Dal-United president, and Sushil Kumar Modi, who is battling with cancer and has excused himself from poll-related activities, for their efforts in pulling Bihar out of the 'jungle raj', a term often used to denote the lawlessness that prevailed when Bihar was ruled by the RJD-Congress combine.
"In those days, our mothers and sisters were fearful of venturing out of homes," alleged Modi, taking forward the declamation of Kumar who spoke before him, that "people did not go out of their homes after dusk" in Bihar until the change of guard in 2005.
Kumar, who returned to the NDA in January, and has sought to maintain a "secular" image, also claimed "clashes between Hindus and Muslims were more common before we took over. In the new atmosphere of peace, Muslims too supported us in a big way. We got more than 50 per cent of their votes in 2010 assembly polls".
The PM was also visibly pleased when the Bihar CM predicted a 400-plus tally for the NDA.
The PM said, "All surveys show that we are heading for a massive victory. Some may wonder why I am still working so hard. I am not one who would rest on his laurels. I was born into a poor family and will not rest until I wipe out poverty from the country. The first 10 years of my government have been a trailer. Our growth engine is on the runway. It must now take off."
In an apparent reference to the Congress' complaint to EC that the use of the "Modi ki guarantee" phrase was a violation of the Model Code of Conduct, the PM said he was able to deliver on promises because he had "pure intent and firm resolve".
"The glory of India is being sung (bharat ka danka baj raha hai) far and wide, be it New Zealand or Africa. This has not been achieved by Modi, but by the power of your vote which installed a strong government," said the PM.
