Barabanki/Kaushambi:Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hit out at the BJP's rivals, saying they were only bothered about "vote-bank politics" and did not pay attention to the "mountain-like" problems faced by Muslim women due to evil practices like triple talaq. He said the "seasonal politicians" of the opposition parties, who were missing when the COVID-19 wave was at its peak and showed up at the time of elections, will return to their foreign tours after March 10, when the assembly election results will be declared.
Addressing rallies in Barabanki and Kaushambi, he trained his guns at the Samajwadi Party, accusing it of doing everything to protect those accused of terror activities. Modi again questioned the "silence" of the SP over a Gujarat court awarding capital punishment to 38 convicts in the 2008 serial blasts in Ahmedabad. The whole country is satisfied that those guilty of killing innocent people have been punished by the judiciary after a detailed probe and long trial, but none of the dynasts welcomed the judgement, he said.
At the Barabanki rally, Modi claimed that the opposition parties are rattled as the poor people who have benefited from various welfare schemes, including free ration during the coronavirus pandemic, are carrying the BJP's victory flag. Increasing the safety and dignity of daughters has always been the priority of the double-engine government, the prime minister said and highlighted the large-scale recruitment of women in Uttar Pradesh Police as well as in the paramilitary forces and the army.
"Today, daughters are protecting the country and society by becoming commandos in maximum numbers. Around 6-7 years ago the number of women police personnel in our country was only 1.10 lakh. Now the number of women police personnel has reached above 2.25 lakh," he said. He also took a swipe at opposition leaders for claiming that they can understand people's pain more than those who have no family, saying for him, UP and the entire country is family. "Those who say that they have families, I want to ask these dynasts why didn't they worry about the pain of my Muslim sisters and daughters and their families when they were forced to return to their father's home.
"The dynasts always bothered about their 'vote bank' but shut their eyes to the mountain-like problems faced by the Muslim women due to triple talaq practice. "It is our government which has freed these Muslim sisters from the vicious cycle of triple talaq," he said, adding it not only helped women but also their families. Modi started the day with a rally at Barabanki and later addressed another public meeting in Kaushambi.
The Barabanki rally also covered assembly segments of neighbouring Ayodhya. The three districts will go to vote in the fifth phase on February 27. Asserting that it was his government that for the first time addressed the issues of small and marginal farmers, the prime minister said "we have transferred more than Rs 800 crore in the bank accounts of farmers in Barabanki district only". The interest of farmers is central to his government, Modi said and noted that a national vaccination programme especially for cattle worth Rs 13,000 crore is underway. The government has started a Govardhan scheme where plants are being set up to manufacture biogas using animal dung, he said. Attacking the previous governments at the Centre as well as in UP, Modi said "these dynasts provided the people bare minimum and always wanted them to remain at their feet".