Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday exhorted that he will return to office when the results of Lok Sabha elections will be out next month. He hit out at the mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) of the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal, saying that the “alliance of opportunists” wants a helpless government.
Modi was speaking at a rally in Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh, a day after filing his nomination from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat for a re-election. Kannuj goes to polls on April 29 in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections. In 2014, Samajwadi Party’s Dimple Yadav won the contest against BJP’s Subrat Pathak. The two leaders will be contesting against each other from Kannauj constituency once again this time. Kannauj has traditionally been a Samajwadi Party bastion. The party has not lost the seat in 20 years.
The prime minister said it was “game over” for the Opposition on May 23. He said it is not the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders running its campaign in Uttar Pradesh this time. “Modi’s campaign is today run by the woman who was given gas cylinders by the government...by the girl who got a toilet at her home...by the man who got a house under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana...by the parents whose children have been treated free of cost under Ayushman Bharat and by farmers who got direct money transfers,” the prime minister added.
He claimed history will be created on May 23 as even the new generation is aware of the opportunism of the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party.
Modi claimed the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance had never spoken about terrorism in their poll campaign. “They have abused Modi so many times, but have they condemned terrorism? Are they scared of terrorists or are they trying to save them?” Modi asked.
The prime minister claimed those who want to defeat him believe in Pakistan’s false claims and doubt the soldiers who conducted surgical strikes and air strikes. “Those who are projecting themselves as future prime ministers, have they put forward any plan to strengthen the nation or ensure safety of the youth of the country?” he asked.
The prime minister claimed the “new India” will enter the homes of terrorists and kill them. “New India will not be afraid now,” he said.
‘I was born in extreme backward class’
Modi hit out at Mayawati for dubbing him a “fake backward”. Addressing a rally in Jalaun on Friday, the Bahujan Samaj Party chief had claimed that Modi, as the chief minister of Gujarat, had got himself a backward caste certificate by using the state machinery.
“I would like to thank Mayawati ji, Akhilesh ji and Congress for reminding me of my caste,” he said. “Backward caste might be a matter of politics for SP-BSP but for me, it’s an opportunity to serve my country.”
He said he urged the Opposition parties not to drag him in the politics of caste. The prime minister said his caste is so small that “there are only a few houses” of his caste in the village. “I am not backward, I was born in extreme backward class,” Modi said.
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