New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi clapped back at the Opposition Congress on Thursday for calling him names during their campaign for the ongoing Gujarat Assembly elections.
At a rally in Gujarat’s Kalol, which goes to polls in the second phase on 5 December, Modi retorted: “There seems to be a competition going on in the Congress on who can abuse Modi more.”
The Prime Minister was counterattacking Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s tirade at a rally Tuesday when he said Modi must have a 100 heads like Ravana if he was trying to be everywhere during elections.
Kharge said: “Modiji is Prime Minister. Forgetting his work, he keeps campaigning in corporation elections, MLA elections, MP elections, everywhere… All the time he’s talking about himself: ‘You don’t have to look at anyone else, just look at Modi and vote’. How many times do we see your face? How many forms do you have? Do you have 100 heads like Ravana?”
In a strong reply, Modi said Thursday: “Those who never believed in the existence of Lord Ram have now brought in (demon king) ‘Ravana’ from Ramayana. And, I am surprised they never expressed repentance — forget about tendering an apology — after using such cuss words for me.”
Modi added: “I respect Khargeji. He will say what he has been told to say. The Congress party doesn’t know that this is Ram Bhakts’ Gujarat. In this land of ‘Rambhakts’, they were asked to say, ‘Modiji 100 maatha wala Ravana hai’.”
The Prime Minister said if the Congress believed in democracy, “they would have never gone to this level”. “They believe in one family and not in democracy. They can do anything to please that one family and that family is everything to them, not democracy,” Modi said in Kalol, Panchmahal.
“We have to teach them a lesson,” he added.
The Prime Minister also mentioned the disparaging remark recently made by Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry, who said the party would show Modiji his “aukaat” (status) while talking about renaming a stadium named after Modi.
Modi also said a Congress leader wished him a dog’s death some time ago, referring to Sheikh Hussain’s remarks in June during the time when Rahul Gandhi faced heat from the Enforcement Directorate.
“Another said Modi will die Hitler’s death. Another said if I get a chance, I’ll kill Modi myself… Someone says Ravana, someone says rakhshas (demon), someone says cockroach,” Modi told the crowd.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also came to Modi’s defence Thursday, saying at a roadshow in Ahmedabad’s Sanand: “Whenever the Congress has used inappropriate words against PM Modi, the people of Gujarat have given a fitting reply through the ballot box. This time too, the people will give a reply.”
He then rattled off the achievements of the ruling BJP under Modi’s chief-ministership: “Various problems were solved in Gujarat when he was CM. The water problem was solved, and check dams were built. Electricity is supplied 24 hours. Enrollment and dropout issues (students) were also solved.”
The two-phase Gujarat polls began on 1 December. Eighty nine constituencies spread across 19 districts of Kutch, Saurashtra and South Gujarat went to polls in the first phase on Thursday.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also came to Modi’s defence Thursday, saying at a roadshow in Ahmedabad’s Sanand: “Whenever the Congress has used inappropriate words against PM Modi, the people of Gujarat have given a fitting reply through the ballot box. This time too, the people will give a reply.”
He then rattled off the achievements of the ruling BJP under Modi’s chief-ministership: “Various problems were solved in Gujarat when he was CM. The water problem was solved, and check dams were built. Electricity is supplied 24 hours. Enrollment and dropout issues (students) were also solved.”
Modi called upon people, especially first-time voters, to come out in large numbers to exercise their franchise.
Also read: How a once-sidelined former chief of BJP’s youth wing won back Modi’s favour, got Gujarat ticket