‘Congress candidates must lose deposits’

JUNAGADH/SONGADH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi once again accused the Nehru-Gandhi family of harbouring a severe grudge against leaders from Gujarat and asked voters to hand the opposition party a defeat that would make it difficult for them to rise again.


“Can

Junagadh

ever forget Sardar Patel? Had it not been for him, Junagadh would have been in Pakistan. Just imagine what would have been the condition of Somnath then?,” Modi said to a cheering crowd at Junagadh Agriculture University ground.

In Songadh, Modi said Nehru’s faulty Kashmir policy has resulted in bloodshed of jawans becoming an order of the day.

“But Congress is allergic to Gujarati leaders. They pushed him into oblivion. When Morarji Desai become the PM, they started hating him too. The (Gandhi) family couldn’t digest the fact that a Gujarati had challenged its fiefdom. They imposed Emergency and plotted his downfall,” Modi said.

“Now it’s my turn. They are wondering how this chaiwala managed to rule for five years when we had not allowed Morarji Desai and Sardar Patel to do so,” the PM said.

Modi said when in comparing the rules of BJP and Congress, one has to see BJP’s ‘track record’ and Congress’s ‘tape record.’

“Our five-year tenure has not taint of corruption. We fought terrorism and graft culture solely for national interest and development. But Congress tape recorder has just one song – Modi Hatao. They have no other agenda,” he said.

“I appeal to all of you that please ensure that Congress candidates lose their deposits. They must not be able to rise again,” he said.

Striking the local chord, Modi said that unlike Congress governments, he recognized Junagadh’s tourism potential which has now resulted in massive influx of tourists to see Asiatic lions and visit the famous Somnath temple. “Such is the rush in Gir that even the PMO gets calls requesting for room bookings. The average number of pilgrims visiting Somnath has gone up from 75 lakh a year to one crore now.”