IANS/Agra
BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi yesterday accused the Congress of playing divisive politics and blamed it for India’s partition.
“Congress has always played divisive politics. At the time of independence, it divided the country,” the Gujarat chief minister said at a rally here, attended by around 100,000 people.
“They (Congress) are not interested in development. They are habituated to playing vote bank politics... Appease 25% of the population and ignore the rest 75%,” he said.
The “Vijay Shankhnad” (victory announcement) rally at Kothi Meena Bazar ground here, was aimed at raising the pitch for the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. At the rally, the BJP also honoured its Uttar Pradesh legislators Sangeet Som and Suresh Rana, accused of inciting violence during the Muzaffarnagar riots.
Modi also hit out at both the state and central governments for lopsided developmental priorities and increasing corruption at all levels.
“The Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party are result of the Congress’ sins. This nation is not poor, you need to throw Congress, SP and BSP out,” Modi said.
In his 40-minute speech, Modi also touched upon local issues like demand for an airport in Agra and problems of drinking water, power supply and unemployment.
Tourism in the Taj city had great potential and the industry could bring in at least $3bn in a couple of years, he said.
“Agra, which has the Yamuna river, suffers from shortage of drinking water, while perpetual power crisis affects industrial growth,” Modi said. “India is not a poor nation. In fact, our country is the youngest with almost 65% population being youths, but the unemployment problem still wants an answer,” he said.
“The poor do not have power but special people have power supply 24x7. Due to coal scam and corruption, power units have shut down,” he said.
BJP president Rajnath Singh, who arrived towards the end of the rally, also criticised the ruling Samajwadi Party. Modi aide Amit Shah was also present on the dais.
“If our government is formed, I can promise you we will bring development to this country which will change the lives of your children ... change the lives of the poor,” he said.
Despite the momentum behind his campaign, political analysts believe Modi will struggle to conquer UP. “In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP has seen a tremendous decline,” said Sudha Pai, professor at the Centre for Political Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. “I don’t think one individual can make that much difference,” she said, while cautioning that India’s fractured political landscape makes predictions difficult.
Meanwhile the Election Commission yesterday expressed its displeasure over the “tone, tenor and content” of BJP’s prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi’s “Khooni Panja” remark, and said it was aimed at the Congress and violated the model poll code.
