Continuing his Lok Sabha plank of ousting the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday sought a clear mandate for the Bharatiya Janata Party in Haryana for putting the state on a growth trajectory.
Kicking off his party’s poll campaign in Haryana, he hit out at the Congress for the state’s backwardness.
Modi said that the entire world was looking at India with greater respect and this had happened not because of him, but the power of 125 crore people of India, who had formed a strong and stable government at the Centre.
“Why has India’s pride increased today? It is not because of Modi, it is because 125 crore people of India have formed a stable and strong government in Delhi. This is your magic not Modi’s magic.”
He added, “Its first condition is that there should be ‘Congress mukt Haryana’. The second that a stable government with full majority should be formed. And third, there should be a government which lets Modi work in Haryana.”
Attacking the ruling Congress in the state, Modi said that those who could not do anything for the last 60 years were now asking for his record in 60 days. “The people who could not do anything in 60 years, they are asking for my 60 day record,” he said.
In his 30-minute address at a rally in Karnal, Modi, while describing the ruling Congress as “anti-farmer”, was also critical of the party’s claim that Haryana was no 1 state.
He said the state lagged behind in several parameters including literacy rate, per capita income, poverty alleviation, health, education, among others.
Modi also launched a veiled attack on main opposition Indian National Lok Dal , asking the people whether they would like the state being governed from jail. INLD president and former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala has been sentenced in the teachers recruitment scam. Chautala, who is out on bail on health grounds, had said that he would take oath as the next CM from Tihar Jail.
Seeking to connect with the farmers of the state, Modi hit out at the Congress for stating that the Centre had imposed ban on Basmati rice export.
“I am surprised that is it necessary to speak lies in polls. I do not need to tell, but you know all my farmer brother and sisters are being misled, you are being told that Centre has imposed a ban on Basmati rice export, which is 100 per cent lies and injustice to the farmers,” he said.
Launching a scathing attack on the Congress over alleged land scams, Modi said thousands of acres of land had vanished and farmers were deprived of adequate compensation. “Who has taken these lands, I want to ask you did you get compensation for your land. Where has the thousands of acres of land have gone, who has taken it,” he said.
“Who is anti-farmer, you have to decide. We have to change this, for this I want a clear mandate in Haryana, make our candidates victorious.”
At the outset, Modi sought to strike an emotional chord with the people, saying he had come to Haryana to campaign, a day after the Vijay Dashmi festival was celebrated.
He said Haryana was the land of ‘Daanveer Karan’, the land on which the Mahabharata battle was fought and holy Gita’s message was delivered. “This election will decide Haryana's future. I am sitting in your neighbourhood (Delhi),” Modi said.
Recalling the days he used to work in the state as a partyman, Modi said he wanted to repay the debt as he had received love and affection from the people here.
He told the people if they wanted employment, overall progress, development in villages, in cities, then change in Haryana was necessary.
“Do you want that I should serve you, I want your blessings for that and government with absolute majority, give me an opportunity to undertake development,” he said.
Elections to the 90-member Haryana assembly will be held on October 15.
Haryana is set to witness a multi-corner contest with key players Congress, BJP, Indian National Lok Dal, Haryana Lokhit Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Haryana Janhit Congress –Jan Chetna Manch alliance all set to cross swords.
In the last assembly elections, Congress had won 40 seats, INLD 31, BJP 4, HJC-BL 6, SAD and BSP one each and seven seats had gone to Independents.
Image: Prime Minister kickstarts BJP's campaign trail in Haryana with a rally in Karnal. Photograph: ANI/Twitter
