Only agenda of Congress is ‘appeasement for votes’: PM Modi

Prime Minister Modi criticises Congress for appeasement politics, urges unity among patriots in Haryana ahead of elections.

In his fourth and last election rally in Haryana, going to polls coming weekend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the only agenda of the Congress was “appeasement for votes”, and called upon all those “who love India” to stay united and vote for the country, and the future of their children.

Addressing the “Jan Aashirwad Rally” in south Haryana’s Palwal district, Mr. Modi said “Mahatama Gandhi experimented with truth, but these people from the Congress experimented with lies”, adding that the Congress leaders, in closed doors, made plans to divide the Bharatiya Janata Party supporters, who, he said, were all “desh bhakhts [patriots]”.

Mr. Modi said the Congress’ own vote bank was secure, but it wanted those who love India to fight among themselves and get divided. Saying that the people should not let the Congress succeed in its “conspiracy”, the Prime Minister said entire Haryana must resolve that those who love India would stay united and vote for the country, the future of their children, the security of their daughters, new investment and jobs.

The Prime Minister said the Congress spoke about bringing back the now-repealed Article 370, but did not say the same about the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. He said it was the country’s misfortune that the Pakistan government had supported the Congress on its stand on Article 370.

Labelling the Congress as the “biggest anti-Dalit party of India”, Mr. Modi said the party, on coming to power in Karnataka, took away the reservation meant for the oppressed and the backwards and distributed it among its vote bank on the basis of the religion. He said the Congress also gave “minority institution status” to several colleges, schools and universities, earlier running smoothly as per law, causing the job reservation and admission of the SC and OBC students in these institutes to cease to exist.

Continuing his attack on the Congress, Mr. Modi said the party had made a plan to end the reservation and Haryana was going to be its “laboratory” for this, but no one could snatch the reservation meant for the SCs, STs and OBCs as long as “Modi is there”. He said the Congress leaders abused him day in day out, and his only crime was that he was born to a mother from the most backward class.

Saying that the Congress was expert at complicating the problems, Mr. Modi said the party ruled the country for more than six decades, but a large population remained deprived of the basic amenities such as power, drinking water and roads.