Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asked the Congress and other Opposition parties of the Grand Alliance to respond to National Conference leader Omar Abdullah’s assertion that Kashmir needed to have a separate Prime Minister and the State should revert back to the pre-1950 position.
“The Congress Party has to answer to this demand by its alliance partner. I demand former PM Deva Gowda, former Defence Minister Sharad Pawar, Mamata Didi, ‘U Turn’ Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to tell the people of the nation whether they support it” he asked, at a public meeting at L.B. Stadium, his second in Telangana in four days.
The PM accused the Congress of “keeping quiet” whenever such statements are made and even when an NC MP had raised pro-Pakistan slogans. “This kind of mindset because of vote bank politics has made the country weak. Elections will come and go but the country has to remain strong,” he said.
There are two family “political shops” in the form of National Conference and PDP in Kashmir and these parties have been holding “Delhi to ransom” but “as long as Modi is there he will not allow it to happen. This Modi will be a wall of protection between the enemies of the nation and the citizens of the country,” he affirmed, as the crowd began to chant his name.
Surgical strikes
The same attitude of the Opposition is making them question surgical strikes and air strikes affecting the morale of the armed forces. Stating that Hyderabad was maiden venue for him after being declared as BJP’s PM candidate five years ago, Mr. Modi said he could provide a new direction to the country with the confidence instilled in him from here.
“ My government was particularly conscious of the middle class and had ensured inflation was low, subsidy provided for home loans, removed IT for salaries of up to ₹5 lakh, reduced power and mobile bills - all this had helped household budgets,” the PM said All this was done without raising taxes, plugging leaks and ensuring there were no scams, hence the army too was able to get bulletproof jackets and the air force new planes when the UPA regime claimed it did not have funds. He also warned that there will be more taxes if the Opposition comes to power.
Turning his attention to TRS, the PM said any vote to ‘Car’ will be a “waste” as it was mired in dynasty and vote bank politics. He was informed the “steering was in the hands of Majlis” which did not believe in any development as was evident in the contrasting picture of the capital’s development on the other side of the Musi, which remained the same without any change. “Majlis was the speed breaker in halting metro work in old city,” he said and wished Hyderabad Metro too expanded like Delhi Metro. Telangana party chief K. Laxman and others presided.
