Describing the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) victory in Tripura as a journey from “being no one to number one,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said party’s poll performance was a fitting reply to all those who “spread fear, lies and rumours.”
Prime Minister Modi claimed that the Congress’s stature had never been so diminished before and warned party workers not to allow “Congress culture” to seep into the party.
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“In a democracy, the best answer to all those who spread rumours, fear and lies are given by the voters. And democracy has given its answer,” said Prime Minister Modi against the backdrop of attacks from opposition parties on the recent scams involving public sector banks.
In an oblique reference to the Congress terming the arrest of former Finance Minister P. Chidamabaram's son, Karti, as vendetta, Mr. Modi said, “When we take action, some people call it vendetta. It’s not vendetta but mandate of the people. We have to take some decisions for the welfare of the country.”
Addressing party workers at the BJP’s newly constructed headquarters, the Prime Minister took a dig at the Congress chief Rahul Gandhi when he said some people’s designation grew even when their stature shrank.
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Lauding BJP president Amit Shah for his efforts to ensure repeated victories in Assembly elections, Mr. Modi dedicated Saturday’s victory to the workers who were killed in political violence and observed silence in their memory.
Rare specimen
Mr. Modi made it very clear that by the end of June, Congress governments would be voted out in most parts of the country. “During my recent visit, I told Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy that the Congress leader was very fortunate as he will be the only specimen of a Congress Chief Minister,” said Mr Modi in a comment laced with sarcasm.
Mr. Modi also went on to describe Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh of the Congress as a swatantra fauji (independent soldier) “who is not considered as one of their own by the Congress party nor does he consider them [Congress[ as his own.”
Captain Amrinder rebutted Mr. Modi’s remarks on Twitter, and asked him not to “drive a wedge between him and his high command.”
The Prime Minister said though political pundits may be wondering how the BJP reached the northeast, he said his government and party worked silently for the past four years and took Delhi to the doorstep of northeast to address a sense of alienation.
Mr. Modi said in “vastu shastra”, it was believed that the northeast corner is the most important part of a land and with his party now in power in most of this region, these States would lead the country on the path to development.