‘Do whatever you want': PM Modi hits back at Congress on poll code violation claim

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday trained guns on the Congress on the issue of corruption and reiterated his ‘85% commission’ charge while he was addressing a rally in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh. Taking swipe at Mallikarjun Kharge, PM Modi said the grand old party has not left the ‘habit of controlling (its leaders) with remote’. “First it controlled (former PM) Manmohan Singh, now it's the party president,” he said. The Prime Minister also made a promise to take the country's economy to third position if he is voted to power for a third term.

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"This is the time to remain beware of the Congress party. It is that party that snatches money belonging to the poor, indulges in scams, and divides the society for chair; for Congress, the development of a state and the nation is not important...Congress president is controlled by a remote. He can't do much. When the remote works, he abuses Sanatan (Dharma). Yesterday, when the remote was not working he spoke about Pandavas and said there are five Pandavas in BJP. We are proud that we are walking on the path laid by the Pandavas," he said while addressing the rally in Damoh district.

He further targetted the Congress for wanting to approach the Election Commission of India (ECI) for alleged violation of model code of conduct after PM Modi announced the extension of the free ration scheme for the next five years. The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), which was launched in 2020 for the 80 crore National Food Security Act (NFSA) beneficiaries and was about to end in December, 2023, has been extended till December 2028. The Prime Minister made the announcement at a rally in Chhattisgarh.

“They (Congress) are talking about approaching the EC and complain against Modi. ‘How could he talk about giving free ration to the poor?’ ‘What does Modi think of himself?’ Do whatever you want, I will accept whatever punishment comes in my way but I will not leave the work for the poors,” he said.

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Earlier, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh alleged PM Modi of violation the model code of conduct after he made the announcement to extend the PMGKAY before it was approved by the Union Cabinet. “A desperate Prime Minister announced a five-year extension of the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana in the midst of the Chhattisgarh election campaign. This is a blatant violation of the Model Code of Conduct. Will the EC take note and act?” he wrote on X (Twitter).