Bhuj: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday kick-started his campaign trail in poll-bound Gujarat and launched a stinging attack at the Congress, saying that the upcoming election will be a fight between trust on development and dynastic politics.
Choosing to speak in Gujarati for the benefit of the local audience, he said that people of Gujarat would teach the Congress a lesson for making baseless allegations against him.
In a veiled reference to Congress scion Rahul Gandhi, he said that people come from outside and say all kinds of things to malign the image of the state, but it would only help the BJP retain power here.
“I am grateful for all the 'kichad' being thrown at me. After all, a lotus blooms only in 'kichad' so, I don't mind if more is thrown at me,” he said to loud cheers.
He also took the allegations of corruption thrown at him by Congress leaders head-on. “This Gujarat son has no stains in his public life. You come to the state and level baseless allegations on the son of the soil... the people of the state will not forgive you,” he said.
During his campaign in the state in the last few days, Gandhi had trained his guns at the Modi-led government over the Rafale fighter aircraft deal.
He also accused the Congress of “clapping and rejoicing at the release of terrorist Hafiz Saiyed”, “questioning the surgical strike and asking for proof instead of lauding the bravery of soldiers” and “meeting the Chinese ambassador to India even as Indian troops were locked in an eyeball-to-eyeball standoff with the Chinese troops at Doklam”.
Talking about his own track record, he said that BJP completely changed the fortunes of Kutch and turned it into a tourist spot. Earlier, he said, government officers did not want to take up jobs in Kutch as the water that flowed through the region was black, but now they want to return Narmada dam became operational.
“Congress did not allow Narmada water to come to Kutch region. What if the Narmada waters had come to Kutch 30 years earlier? It would have made such a big difference. People would not have to migrate because of drought,” he said.
Taking another dig at the opposition party, which is making all out efforts to dislodge the long-ruling BJP in Gujarat, Modi asked, "When our soldiers were standing eye-to-eye in Dokalam for 70 days, why were you hugging the Chinese ambassador."
The PM also made a concerted effort to woo the disgruntled Patidar community. At Jasdan in Rajkot, Modi, while recounting the Maha Gujarat Andolan, said – “Babubhai Jasbhai Patel became the first Patidar chief minister of Gujarat. The Congress has been responsible for removing four Patidar CMs.”
The elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will be held in two phases on December 9 and 14. The counting of votes will be on December 18.
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