In a jab at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for repeating the same scripts for the past decade, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated on Saturday that the Congress will be unable to be the “Opposition party” since their numbers will fall below 50 on June 4.
Addressing a rally in Odisha’s Phulbani, Kandhamal Lok Sabha constituency, PM Modi also said that the country has decided that the NDA would surpass 400 seats, while the BJP will smash all previous records and win the most seats.
“You keep my word on record, my countrymen,” Modi declared.
Kandhamal, Bargarh, Sundargarh, Bolangir, and Aksa will vote on May 20, while elections in Odisha’s remaining seats will take place on May 13, May 25, and June 1.
Speaking on the anniversary of the Pokhran test, PM Modi praised former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for conducting a nuclear test at Pokhran 26 years ago on this day (May 11) when “Indians across the entire world had taken pride in it” and accused the Congress of instilling fear in the country by projecting Pakistan’s nuclear potential.
“That was the moment when India demonstrated its prowess to the globe. The Congress, on the other hand, intended to terrify the country. They would say, “Be careful…” Pakistan possesses an atomic weapon, and “mare pade log” (those about to die) are attempting to destroy the country’s thinking. “The Congress has always had that mindset,” Modi stated.
“Pakistan’s current situation is so dire that they are attempting to sell nuclear weapons in order to find a buyer.” However, they see that it is of poor quality. As a result, it is not for sale,” the Prime Minister stated.
Referring to Rahul Gandhi, he stated that the “sehzada of Congress” issues pronouncements on a daily basis. “You may witness his speeches from the 2014, 2019, and 2024 elections. He keeps reading the same script. To be the opposition party, Congress must hold one-tenth of the total Lok Sabha seats. The country has determined that Congress will not be the opposition party since their numbers would fall below 50. “You’ll see it on June 4,” Modi stated.
Modi’s declaration came a day after Rahul Gandhi announced at a rally in Kanpur that Narendra Modi will not be Prime Minister on June 4.
Modi accused the Congress of having a weak attitude when it comes to taking tough action against terrorism, claiming that instead of teaching terrorists a lesson, these individuals (Congress) were conducting meetings with terrorist groups.
“These folks lacked the courage to take harsh action against terrorists following the 26/11 Mumbai attack. Why? Modi criticized the Congress and INDI Alliance for believing that taking serious action against them will disturb their vote bank.
He said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been subjected to terrorism for 60 years as a result of the Congress’ “kamjor rabeya”.
As Odisha’s Assembly elections begin, PM Modi criticized the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government by highlighting the “emotive issue” of missing Ratna Bhandar (treasure trove) keys at Puri Jagannath Temple. He stated that the Jagannath Temple Act has provisions for keeping records of the Ratna Bhandar’s treasured items.
PM Modi expressed confidence in creating the first BJP administration in the state, telling the people that the sanctity of the Ratna Bhandar will be restored once the BJP government was formed in Odisha. “It’s Modi’s guarantee,” he explained.
Ratna Bhandar’s inventory was last done 45 years ago. The decorations were so valuable that everyone working on the inventory raised their hands. It has not been opened in almost 40 years. There is no formal record of the Ratna Bhandar’s decorations. “The keys have been missing for the past six years,” Modi stated.
Modi asked the audience if they wanted to know where the keys of Lord Jagannath’s Ratna Bhandar had gone, blaming the BJD government for failing to protect them.
“When there was outrage over the problem, the state authorities claimed to have discovered duplicate Ratna Bhandar keys. Now there are doubts about why the duplicate keys were created. Was someone opening the Ratna Bhandar using the duplicate key throughout the night? Whether God’s treasured jewels were taken with these duplicate keys? “The issue of missing keys is serious, but the issue of duplicate keys is even more serious,” Modi remarked.
The Prime Minister further criticized the state administration for avoiding the matter because the judicial panel report on Ratna Bhandar’s lost keys has yet to be made public.
Modi, who is said to have good connections with BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, whom he previously referred to as his “mitra” (friend), chastised him for not knowing anything about the state.
“Naveen Babu has been the chief minister of Odisha for many years. I want to challenge Naveen Babu. Why are they furious with you? This is because you have him (Naveen) stand wherever and instruct him to spell out the names of districts and their headquarters without using paper. The CM struggles to identify district names and headquarters without proper documentation. Can he grasp your predicament? Can you put your children’s future in such capable hands?” He added.
Assembly elections for Odisha’s 147 seats will also be contested from May 13 to June 1.
Later, during a rally in Bargarh, Modi stated that the Odisha government has been outsourced.
“Who leads the BJD government in Odisha? Are you aware that the whole government has been outsourced? There is a super CM (referring to V K Pandian) who is above both the democratically elected government and the CM. Do you want the state to be in the hands of those who have no knowledge about Odisha? Whose duty is it to rescue Odisha?” Modi said, urging people to vote for a BJP administration to safeguard Odisha.
Referring to the assassination of BJD minister Naba Das in January last year, Modi stated that the law and order situation in Odisha has deteriorated since a minister was slain in broad daylight. He said that the drug mafia had damaged the region’s young.
Modi further accused the Congress of attempting to amend the Constitution in order to remove SC/ST and OBC reservation privileges in favor of (Muslim) votes.
PM Modi used the examples of President Droupadi Murmu, a tribal community member, and himself, who belongs to the Other Backward Class (OBC), to demonstrate the BJP government’s dedication to the elevation of the backward and disadvantaged parts of society.
“When a tribal daughter holds the highest constitutional position and a son from a backward community is Prime Minister, no one has the authority to undermine the Constitution. No one has the authority to alter the constitution. Modi would not allow anybody to take away the rights of the SC/ST and OBC, and this is his promise,” declared the Prime Minister.
