Prime Minister Narendera Modi on Thursday described the Congress party as a “rotten thought” which needed to be excised from the country as he addressed his first poll campaign meeting in Rehan area of Himachal Pradesh’s Fatehpur constituency.
He attacked the Congress by highlighting party vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s meeting with Chinese leaders during the Doklam crisis and former Union minister P. Chidambaram’s backing for autonomy in Kashmir.
“Yeh Congress, azadi ke diwano ki Congress nahin, Mahatma Gandhi ki Congress nahin, balki ek sadi hui soch ka namoona hai, hum jab Congressmukt Bharat ki baat karte hein, hum is sadi hui soch se mukt Bharat chahte hein (This Congress is the one of freedom fighters, not the party of Mahatma Gandhi, but it is an example of rotten thought now. When we talk of Congress-free India, we want freedom from this strand of rotten thought,” said Modi.
Praising the contribution of Himachali soldiers in the defence forces, Modi highlighted the pro-Kashmiri stand that some of the Congress leaders have taken now. “We are proud of our jawans. How can Congress leaders speak about ‘aazadi’ and then question and insult the sacrifices of our jawans,” he said.
Almost every day one or another village in Himachal Pradesh receives bodies of its bravehearts serving at the borders, he ad ded. “It is for years that hundreds and hundreds of soldiers have sacrificed their lives in Kashmir. But these Congress leaders are asking for freedom of Kashmir, they don’t even feel shame to speak on this issue,” he said as he targeted Chidambaram’s statement. Modi said no leader in the Congress had even contradicted these statements.
Earlier this year, the Indian Army had a 72-day standoff against China on Doklam. “Our Army stood there day and night, where temperatures are below 2 and 3 degrees. We had trust in our people and on vision of the Army. It was a crucial time, anything could have happened. But the leader who is a parliamentarian, whose father, grandmother and grandmother’s father were Prime Ministers of India, and who has born and brought up in the ruling family, acted in an insulting way,” he said as he attacked Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for meeting Chinese ambassador. “I am sorry to say, but this leader lacks even primary knowledge of the issues.”
“Instead of asking the elected government of the country, these leaders held talks with Chinese leaders.It is an insult to the Indian Army and its people,” added Modi.
Modi said when the BJP talks about Congress-mukt Bharat, Congress feels bad about it, but highlighted that Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had said same words for Jan Sangh. “It was just the early years of the Jan Sangh when Nehru had said that he will uproot it and throw away.”
He said the Congress should introspect why people are punishing it across the country. “But one need soul to introspect,” he added.
Pays tribute to Wazir Ram Singh
PM Narendera Modi made it a point to pay tribute to local hero Wazir Ram Singh Pathania. Making a strong pitch for the BJP, Modi said people should remember Pathania when they cast their votes to bring the “right” party to power. Pathania had fought the Anglo-Sikh Wars for his minor king in (1848-49) prior to the first war of independence in 1857.
When the Sikhs rebelled against British, Ram Singh Pathania represented Nurpur. He fought the British many times, but could not be defeated. The British bribed a man to reveal Pathania’s whereabouts and he was captured while praying on the banks of the Ravi without his weapons, near the Shahpurkandi fortress. It is said he died there on November 11, 1856 when he was just 24.
