Sasaram just burdened with leaders of tall stature: Narendra Modi

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate on Thursday launched a direct attack at Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar in her constituency in Sasaram, saying that it seemed that the area is only burdened by leaders of tall stature.

"I thought this was the constituency of a veteran leader Meira Kumar and there would be more development in Sasaram, but it seems as if the area is burdened by leaders of tall stature, it is almost like someone had put a cloth over our nose and it is not letting us breathe," said Modi.

"A good son or daughter is one who fulfills the dream of their parents. Babu Jagjivan Ram broke away from the Congress and went with the J P Movement and look what the daughter has done," he said.

He further said that if the people of Sasaram wanted to change the bleak situation, they should align with the BJP.

"Do you want to tolerate the Congress which has ruined you? Do you not want to remove them from power? If you want the fortunes of Sasaram to change, align yourself to the government that is going to be formed in Delhi," said Modi.

"If we had realised Atal Bihari Vajpayee's dreams of linking India's rivers, the area which have floods would not complain, and farmers in drought-prone areas would also be happy. The situation is such that if there is surplus crop, farmers suffer and if there is a deficit, farmers suffer," he said.

"The government in Delhi is responsible for this. Surplus stock is left out on railway platforms to rot. When the Supreme Court says distribute the food grain that is rotting, what did they do? Do they remember the poor only when elections are round the corner?" he asked.

He also said that if the Gandhi family had empathized with the poor they would have distributed grains to the poor instead of selling it to liquor manufacturers.

They let crops rot despite SC's order. They don't care about the people, they are heartless. They don't distribute the rotting foodgrain among the poor, instead they sell it to liquor manufacturers," said Modi.

"Women here run campaigns against alcoholism and the government is selling surplus food-grains to those who make alcohol. You have such governments and leaders who have misappropriated money earned for coal, but don't have the wherewithal to use the coal to produce electricity. Even today, there is a shortage of electricity in Bihar," he said.

"This darkness will go only when this government goes. In Gujarat, if there is a power outage for two minutes, it makes news. In Bihar, when there is electricity it makes news. If Bihar doesn't develop and change, then how will India progress? We must prioritise the development of eastern India," he added.