Congress can forget the dream of restoring Article 370: Narendra Modi

Intensifying his attack against the INDIA bloc, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the Congress leaders want to restore Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir “which would lead to bloodshed” there and give terrorism a free hand.

Addressing back-to-back poll rallies in Haryana--Gohana(Sonipat) and Ambala, Modi stepped up the attack on the Opposition, stating that it should forget the “dream” of bringing back Article 370 of the Constitution that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The constitutional provision was scrapped in August 2019.

“They want to bring bloodshed in Kashmir. I want to tell the Congress that this is Modi, if they try to bring back Article 370, they will have to face the consequences.”

Addressing a rally at Gohana, his second of the day in Haryana after the one at Ambala, the PM said, “During the Congress’ 10-year rule, ceasefire violations were reported every day, but it stopped after I came to power. The ceasefire violation from the Pakistan side was stopped because of your one vote. This is your strength that the enemy’s weapon got locked.”

Trying to strike a chord with the locals, he said, “I have given exemption to Haryana’s youths, who are protecting our borders, to fire at the enemies without counting the bullets.”

“They cannot see this situation of Pakistan. Now people associated with the Congress have become Pakistan’s spokespersons and are saying the neighbouring country has nuclear bomb.” “Tell me, should India be scared of Pakistan?” he asked the gathering.

In a veiled attack on the Gandhi family, Modi said the Congress party has been out of power for the last ten years and thus are bewildered.

“They are still recalling those old days when the royal family controlled the government with a remote button. All their schemes would be in the name of members of one family. Reality does not change by changing the name. INDI alliance is a group of corrupt people and they want power at any cost,” the PM added.

In another attack on the Congress, Modi said that Congress tried to stop construction of Ram temple for the last 500 years’. “The Congress people were invited for pran pratishtha but they turned down the invitation. Will you accept those who declined the invitation?” he said.

He urged voters to elect Mohan Lal Kaushik and Arvind Sharma from Sonepat and Rohtak seats respectively.

Referring to the AAP-Congress poll alliance in certain states, he said Congress leaders are holding the “jhadoo” (broomstick, the Aam Aadmi Party’s poll symbol) in Delhi and Haryana, but claiming that “jhadoowala chor hai” in Punjab, where the two parties are contesting elections against each other.

Addressing the rally in Ambala in favour of BJP candidate Banto Kataria, Kurukshetra’s Naveen Jindal and Karnal’s Manohar Lal Khattar, he asked the audience to remember that every vote to the candidates ultimately goes to him.

The rally organised at police lines ground in Ambala City also coincided with the first death anniversary of Rattan Lal Kataria, who represented the seat thrice in the Lok Sabha and died last year in Chandigarh. His wife Banto is contesting her first-ever election from the Ambala reserved seat.

The PM said that Congress and the INDIA bloc are trailing in the first four phases of elections.

“When there is a dhakad (strong) government in the country, enemies think 100 times before doing anything. Pakistan used to tease us for the last 70 years and had a bomb in their hand, but now they have a bheekh ka katora (begging bowl) in their hand,” he said.

The rally ground was just 10km away from the Shambhu border, where farmers, under the banner of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been sitting on protest.

“Congress has done nothing for the farmers. They purchased crops worth ₹7.5 lakh crore on MSP in 10 years, while Modi bought crops worth ₹20 lakh crore crop on MSP in 10 years that is nearly three times. They often do politics in the name of farmers. Sugarcane farmers have also been betrayed by Congress. FRP (Fair and Remunerative Price) of the crop is now ₹350 quintal, but Congress gave ₹210,” he said, urging the audience to remember the figures and inform to the farmers as well as the Congress.

During the address, PM Modi also accused the Congress of betraying the ex-servicemen and delaying the implementation of ‘One Rank One Pension’ for four decades.

“They have never focused on strengthening the armed forces. Infact, the first-ever scam of Congress took place in the defence sector. They maintained the track record till they held power...Bofors scam, submarine scam, helicopter scam..They used to weaken the forces, so that they could import weapons and earn well...But we focused on aatmanirbharta and now we are selling weapons to other countries,” he added.