Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday made a strong attack on Congress in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, accusing it of spreading lies about his government, and ignoring urban infrastructure in cities.
Modi, who inaugurated Rs40bn Mohanpura irrigation Project at Rajgarh and unveiled urban development projects worth over Rs40bn crore in Indore, said the country was on its way to achieving the target of total cleanliness by Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary next year.
Seeking to set the tone for the BJP’s campaign for the assembly polls later this year, he compared the performance of his government as also of the state’s Shivraj Singh Chouhan administration to that of Congress.
Addressing a rally in Rajgarh, Modi took several digs at the Congress.
“Those who are engaged in spreading misinformation, lies and pessimism, how far removed they are from the reality... you are a picture of it,” he told the gathering.
Accusing the Congress of not caring for Madhya Pradesh’s future and not feeling insulted over the state’s earlier “BIMARU” tag, he said the BJP has made the state a major participant in the country’s development process.
The acronym BIMARU was coined in the 1980s for the economic condition of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
“The Congress, which ruled Madhya Pradesh for a long time, did not see or feel the insult (over Madhya Pradesh being counted among the sick states). They treated the common people as their subjects and got them to sing their praises. They did not care for Madhya Pradesh’s future.”
Remembering Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his death anniversary, Modi said Mookerjee’s vision was reflected in policies of BJP governments, while accusing the Congress of glorifying one family while ignoring the contribution of other nation-builders.
The prime minister said that his government was making sure that every village has a gas connection, every household has electricity connection, everybody has bank accounts, everybody gets a shield of security insurance and every pregnant woman and child is immunised.
Noting this work could have been done by the Congress or previous governments also, he said: “It was unfortunate on the part of this country that Congress which has ruled this country for so many years never had trust in you and your hard work.”
Referring to the completion of Mohanpura project in about four years, he said it was not only an example of rapid growth but also the way in which BJP governments work.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks after unveiling urban development projects in Indore yesterday.
