PM Modi attacks Congress in poll-bound Haryana, says, 'those who gave...'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said Haryana has decided to bring the BJP to power for a third consecutive term, even as he asked people to be wary of the Congress' "falsehoods" terming the party anti-Dalit and anti-farmer.

Kicking off his campaign for the October 5 assembly polls in Haryana, Modi told a rally here that the Congress' politics today has reduced to spreading "falsehoods and anarchy" in the country.

"Today's Congress has become new (naya roop) form of urban Naxal. They do not feel any shame in speaking lies," Modi said. "When their lie is caught, they still feel no shame. The Congress speaks a new lie daily. It is attacking the country's unity regularly and is imposing 'Naxalwadi vichar' (Naxal thoughts)."

He said the Congress feels no shame in defaming the country for defaming the BJP. "So you have to be wary of the Congress and their associates."

He said the Congress has done nothing for farmers and the party's "royal family" intends to end reservation for Dalits but as long as he was there, he will not allow this.

"If there is anybody who is the biggest anti-Dalit, anti-OBC and anti-tribal in the country, it is the Congress family. They have now said that if they come to power, they will end reservation for Dalits and the downtrodden. It is the truth of this family," he said.

Modi said the Congress has come to power in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana by making false promises, and has now "destroyed" the states which used to be prosperous.

People now repent voting for the Congress in these states, he said.

Modi praised the Nayab Saini's government's work in Haryana.

The prime minister said people gave him a third term at the Centre in the Lok Sabha elections, and going by their enthusiasm, they will also give the BJP a hat-trick of victories in Haryana.

With Jammu and Kashmir also going to polls, Modi targeted the Congress, which is fighting in alliance with the National Conference there.

He said that by supporting the restoration of Article 370, the Congress wants to bring back the period when terrorism was at peak in J-K. "Will you allow the Congress to bring back Article 370?" he asked the crowd.

Chief Minister Saini and other BJP leaders from the state were also present at the rally.

"In your neighbourhood is Himachal Pradesh. Two years ago, the Congress came to power in that state. But what is the situation there. No citizen of Himachal is happy today. The Congress spoke lies and did not fulfil its promises.

"Government employees there have to go on strike for salaries. They are not getting their dearness allowances. Recruitments are not taking place.. they have to close schools and colleges. They had promised Rs 1,500 to every woman. The women continue to wait. Power, water, petrol, diesel, milk have become dearer in Himachal," he said.

"During LS polls, they (the Congress) used to say that Rs 8,000 will be transferred in people's account 'khata khat'," Modi said. "All welfare schemes run by the previous BJP regime (in HP) have been halted. The economic situation is bad, but the Congress is not affected by people's problems."

Modi dubbed the Congress as the biggest "dishonest and deceitful" party in the country.

In Karnataka, inflation and corruption are at peak and development has halted, he said. "The Congress is showing how prosperous states are destroyed."

Then he turned to a Congress ally whom he just referred to as a "kattar beimaan party", making it clear the attack was targeted at the Aam Aadmi Party, which is also fighting the Haryana polls.

"This party has one policy, to win elections by emptying coffers. See what they have done to Punjab (where the AAP is in power). Don't allow such parties to come to power. You need to do this to save Haryana and your children's future," Modi said.

He said the new NDA government at the centre is yet to complete 100 days but it has already started work worth nearly Rs 15 lakh-crore.

The BJP government has approved three crore 'pucca houses' for poor, he said.

Attacking the Hooda family and previous Congress governments in Haryana, Modi said, "We have seen that period of the Congress government when money for development used to be limited to one district only. Not only that, in whose pockets that money used to go? Everyone in Haryana knows that,"

The BJP undertook development work in an equitable manner, Modi said.

The prime minister attacked the Congress over farmers' issues as well, saying the party made a hue and cry over Minimum Support Price but "I ask them how many crops do they buy at MSP in Karnataka and Telangana".

"Did any farmer receive money in their accounts during Congress rule," PM Modi asked.

Under the Kissan Samman Nidhi, more than Rs 3.25 lakh crore has been deposited in farmers' accounts, he said, alleging the Congress leaves farmers on their own.

"See what is happening in Karnataka. During a short period of Congress' rule in that state, about 1,200 farmers have committed suicide there," the prime minister said.

He praised Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini for his humility and said he has dedicated himself for the state's progress.

Haryana has reached among top states in terms of investments and revenue, the prime minister said.

Polling for the 90 assembly seats in Haryana will be held on October 5 and the votes will be counted on October 8.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from PTI)