Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a sharp attack on the Congress party during his poll rallies at Doda in Jammu and Kashmir and Kurukshetra in Haryana on Saturday. He characterized the Congress as the ‘most dishonest and deceitful party’ in India, leveling the allegation that it was playing appeasement politics and pillaging the country with corrupt practices. Modi questioned how Congress had turned into a new form of Urban Naxals and was anti-Dalit, anti-OBC, and anti-tribal. The other allegation was against the Congress party for wanting to abolish reservations against the weaker sections of society.

Modi did mention an incident in Karnataka, where a Ganesha idol was put in a van as a protest, and he blamed the Congress government for this cultural vandalism. According to Modi, that was just an example of Congress’s appeasement politics where they desecrate religious traditions for their agenda.

Attacks On The Congress Leadership
Modi didn’t mind targeting the leadership of Congress, especially the Gandhi family. He said the dynastic leadership in the Congress had been opposing the reservation of slots for Dalits and other downtrodden communities since their times. He said when Jawaharlal Nehru was the Prime Minister, he wrote to Chief Ministers of all states protesting against reservations. Modi also said that Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi did not favour reservations and that Rajiv called reservation beneficiaries “Buddhu” in an interview.

He has assured the people that, during his rule, no reservations will be withdrawn and has vowed to protect the OBCs, Dalits, and tribals.

Collapse Of Congress-Governed States
Continuing his criticism, the Prime Minister went on to attack the Congress-run states, especially Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana. There he claimed that the people of these states were facing problems of inflation, corruption, and broken promises. Government employees protested for their salaries in Himachal Pradesh and that the party failed to see through its promises, be it financial support for women.

Modi claimed that after the Congress came to power in Karnataka, the investment and employment opportunities drastically declined and created a mess. He added Congress can’t run the government and because of not delivering the promise citizens are frustrated. Modi also warned the electorates of Haryana to not let Congress come into power and they will once again be back to the negative examples of Congress-ruled states.

A Call For Continued BJP Leadership
Congress’s governance in other states is an excellent example for the voters as to why they should not be given another chance, Modi appealed to the people. He said that Congress has served more damage than any good to the states of their governance by leaving behind inflation, corruption, and lack of progress. Modi appealed to voters to continue supporting the BJP in the ensuing elections both in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana.

In Doda, Jammu and Kashmir, he changed the flow of the rally by pointing out that the assembly elections due to take place in the state had become a battle between the Yuvraj of three political dynasties-the Congress, National Conference (NC), and People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-and the youth of Jammu and Kashmir. These three families, Modi claimed, had wreaked havoc on the region for decades in the name of corruption. He blamed them for encouraging terrorism and a culture of violence in the valley. The Prime Minister said that if these parties fulfilled their promises to restore Article 370, it would again bring burning schools and stone pelting to the valley.

Revival Of Statehood And Development
The Prime Minister, during his speech, assured the people of Jammu and Kashmir that the BJP would restore the statehood for a better future for all in the valley once again. He added that this BJP government takes every citizen across the nation regardless of his religion, region, or culture seriously. Modi sought an utmost majority for the party in the election by telling the electorates that only the BJP would be able to bring lasting development and peace to Jammu and Kashmir.

Voting in the final phase in Jammu and Kashmir is scheduled for September 18, September 25, and October 1 respectively. In Haryana, voting will be held on October 5 while voting will be counted on October 8.