Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday invoked the Congress’s biggest icons, Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, while hitting out at the Congress for neglecting Nehru’s legacy.
Campaigning for the Haryana Assembly election in Hisar on Monday, Mr. Modi said: “Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister, was Chacha Nehru to children and I would like that on November 14, his birth anniversary, children of all schools be given lessons in cleanliness and hygiene.”
The cleanliness campaign should continue till the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on November 19, he said and urged all schools and anganwadis to participate. “Those who want to pay tribute to Chacha Nehru should sit with the children he loved so much and tell them how to lead a healthier life.”
The Prime Minister, who also addressed rallies at Kurukshetra and Faridabad, attacked the Haryana government for allegedly clearing a controversial land deal involving Robert Vadra and targeted Indian National Lok Dal leader Om Prakash Chautala.
“There is a baba who got his photo clicked with me at a public function. He is going around with this photo, saying that he will offer us support after elections. Forgive me baba, I have the support of 125 crore Indians. I don’t need the support of people from Tihar,” said Mr. Modi in an apparent reference to Mr. Chautala who has been convicted and sentenced to 10 years in jail in a teachers’ recruitment scam case.
Mr. Modi urged the Election Commission to take note of the recent approval of the land deal in favour of Mr. Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
