Phulbani/Bolangir/Bargarh (Odisha): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday claimed that the Congress will not win even 50 seats in the Lok Sabha elections and will not be able to get the opposition party status after the polls. Addressing election rallies in Kandhamal, Bolangir and Bargarh Lok Sabha seats, Modi claimed that Odisha's 'asmita' (pride) is in danger and the BJP will protect it, while asserting that a "double engine" government of the saffron party will be formed in the state and a "son or daughter of the soil who understands Odia language and culture" will be made the chief minister.
Attacking the BJD, he called for ousting from power "those responsible for keeping people poor despite the state having bountiful natural resources". "Congress will not be able to get 10 per cent seats to become principal opposition in the Lok Sabha. They will not win even 50 seats," Modi claimed.
Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi, without taking his name, the PM said, "The Congress 'shehzade' has been reading out the same script since the 2014 polls... mark my words, NDA will break all records and will win over 400 seats this time." The 'shehzade' tearing a document of the Manmohan Singh cabinet was an insult to the Constitution, Modi said, referring to the 2013 incident.
Recalling the achievements of the previous BJP government at the Centre under Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he said that on this day 26 years ago, Pokhran tests were conducted (in 1998), and it enhanced the image of the country across the globe. "The Congress always tries to scare the people of India... due to this tendency, Jammu and Kashmir witnessed terrorism for so many years. Instead of giving befitting reply to terrorists, Congress used to hold talks with them to protect the party's vote bank," he alleged.
"The Vajpayee government, on the other hand, showed to the world how India can ensure its security. Non-resident Indians felt proud of the moment (Pokran tests)... that day India showed its capability to the world," he said. Modi claimed that Congress always warns of taking action cautiously as Pakistan also has nuclear weapons.
"These scared people (Congress) have killed the zeal of the people of our country. Today, Pakistan is in such a situation that it cannot handle the bombs it has. They are now trying to sell their bombs but are not getting buyers as people know their bombs are of poor quality," Modi claimed. He also asserted that his government ended 500 years of people's wait by building Ram temple in Ayodhya.
"Everyone feels proud after visiting the Ram temple. We have blessings of Ram Lalla on one side and those of Lord Jagannath on the other," he asserted. Modi asserted that the BJP is fully devoted to the development of Odia language and culture.
"I am here to invite you to the swearing in ceremony of the BJP chief minister in Bhubaneswar on June 10. A son or daughter of the soil who understands the state's culture, language and tradition will be made the CM," he said, in an indirect reference to BJD leader V K Pandian's assertion that he is the natural successor to all great values of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Further attacking Pandian, who hails from Tamil Nadu, without taking his name, Modi alleged that Patnaik has outsourced the Odisha government and the state is being run by outsiders. "There is a super CM, who wields more power than the chief minister chosen by elected MLAs. Are sons and daughters of Odisha not capable of running the government? Are people born here not capable of ensuring development?" he questioned.
Referring to the sensitive issue of Lord Jagannath's 'Ratna Bhandar' (temple treasury), he said the last inventory of the valuables was made 40 years ago and key of inner chambers has been missing since the last six years. The state government constituted a judicial commission to probe the incident of the missing key but the report was not made public, he said.
"I promise to the people of Odisha that the lost glory of 'Ratna Bhandar' will be restored once the BJP forms the government in the state. This is Modi's guarantee," he said. The PM claimed that after President Droupadi Murmu offered prayers at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, a senior Congress leader held a press conference and sought purification of the temple.
"This is an insult to the President, tribals, women and the country as a whole. Congress has no right to remain in politics. All Congress candidates must lose their deposits," he said. Modi asserted that on the other hand, the BJP made a tribal daughter of Odisha the President of India.
The PM came down heavily on the BJD government for not implementing the Ayushman Bharat scheme, "as a result of which people from Odisha working in other states were deprived of its benefits". Although the state has a huge tourism potential, the state government failed to promote it, he alleged.
Modi also alleged that BJD leaders are involved in the "loot" of tribal lands, and promised that action will be taken against them if the BJP comes to power in the state. Launching a scathing attack on Patnaik, the PM alleged that the CM is unable to name all 30 districts of the state from memory.
"A CM, who is unable to name all the districts and headquarters cannot understand the issues faced by the people. Can you leave the future of your children in the hands of such a person?" Modi said. "Give me a chance for five years. I will make Odisha the number one state in the country, given its abundant natural resources," he said.
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