LUCKNOW, Mar 2:
Under attack on the 2002 riots, Narendra Modi today hit out at Samajwadi Party along with Congress and BSP, saying they were using the veil of secularism to hide their failures and indulging in vote bank politics by dividing people.
The BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate took on the SP, particularly its chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on his home turf, and questioned why his son’s Government was fanning communal violence as there were as many as 150 riots in the past year of its rule while there was none in Gujarat in the last decade.
“These people have found a panacea of secularism to win elections. Though they are moving around using secularism, this panacea has lost its effect now…
“Be it SP, BSP or Congress, they are all into vote bank politics. They have ruined the nation…For them secularism is all about vote bank to mislead the people. They are misleading the people by wearing the “naqab” (veil) of secularism to hide their failures,” he said addressing a massive rally here.
He also asked Mulayam to stop taking the name of Ram Manohar Lohia, whose soul he said must be in “pain” to see the deaths of children in relief camps of Muslim riot-victims.
“I want to ask you, your son’s (Akhilesh’s) Government has not even completed one year and more than 150 riots have taken place in UP, while there was not even a single riot in Gujarat in the last 10 years. Not even a curfew was clamped there. Don’t compare Gujarat with UP on development,” he said.
Modi vowed to protect the national treasure by acting as a “chowkidar” (guard) in Delhi, saying for him the task of a guard was more important than holding the post of a Prime Minister.
“Desh ki tijori par main kisi ka panja nahin padne doonga. Koi haathi par baith kar aaye, uska panja nahin padne doonga. Koi cycle par sawaar ho kar aaye, uska panja nahin padne doonga (I will not allow anyone’s hand (Congress symbol) to grab the national treasure, be it anyone seated on an elephant (BSP’s poll symbol) or seated on a cycle (SP’s poll symbol).
Modi said, “Though the heat of elections is yet to be felt, there is a wave in favour of BJP due to which “sabka vinash” (rout of SP, BSP and Congress) is certain.”
Accusing SP, BSP and Congress was using secularism as a poll slogan and a tool to grab power, Modi said for BJP secularism is about uniting people and ensuring development.
“Secularism is an article of faith for us. It is to unite people and do development…For them it’s a tool to grab power and an election slogan,” the BJP leader said.
Taking on the SP supremo, whom he repeatedly addressed as “netaji”, Modi claimed that Mulayam had conceded defeat today by admitting that he cannot compete on the crowds at rallies and also by bringing the debate to the development agenda. He also attacked his Government for increased crime and atrocities on women.
“Netaji (Mulayam) has conceded defeat in his address in the SP rally…By saying he cannot compete with the crowd at my rally…By talking about development, Yadav has been forced (by us) to leave his old ways and come to this topic…
“I have been talking about politics of development for past 10 years and I am happy to learn that netaji has been forced to talk about development,” Modi said.
He said instead of giving false facts about Gujarat, it would have been better if he (Mulayam) would have given an account of work done by him in UP.
“He is spreading lies about Gujarat…He should first visit Gujarat and see that electricity is available there 24 hours, 365 days while in UP there is no power. In UP, there is reservation as far as distribution of electricity is concerned. Areas of ‘netaji’ are getting power, while other places did not have power…,” he said.
On the law and order front, Modi alleged that “due to hooliganism of SP leaders, 45 per cent of the nation’s crimes took place right under your (Mulayam’s) nose.
“There were over 20,000 cases of atrocities against women in UP alone…In Kanpur, medical students were manhandled by aides of an MLA and later lathicharged by the police and faced brutality by them due to which doctors in the entire state are agitating…
“The politics of hooliganism will not be tolerated anymore …These misdeeds say everything and I do not need to elaborate,” Modi said.
He said there were two camps in Samajwadi Party – one ‘Samaj Virdohi Party’ and another ‘Sukhwadi Party’, which is engaged in fun and entertainment. (PTI)
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