Lok Sabha elections: Kamal Nath takes a dig at PM Modi in Bhopal rally

BHOPAL: Addressing his first public meeting in favour of

Bhopal

Congress candidate Digvijaya Singh on Thursday evening, chief minister Kamal Nath said that he requested him to contest from Bhopal because he wants to realize the Bhopal of his dreams - a beautiful, green Bhopal.

Nath, who addressed the meeting at Budhwara, said that there would be no paucity of funds for development of Bhopal as he would hand over coffer keys to Digvijaya, while appealing to the people to vote for him, whom he called his brother.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech at a public meeting in Itarsi on Wednesday in which he charged that the Congress wanted to kill him, Nath said that violence was not the culture of Congress, but that of the BJP. "We don't want to kill you. We simply wish that you retire in peace and leave the country to the Congress. We have done it with 'Mama' (Shivraj Sungh Chouhan) four months ago and would do it with you now", said Nath.

Nath charged Modi of betraying the people who voted him to power in 2014. He said that Modi does not speak of "Achhe Din" anymore, but people do. He said the PM failed to understand the fundamental tenets of India culture - pluralism and diversity.

Nath said that according to Modi nobody can take care of national security other than him. "But, people would like to know whether the country was not safe five years ago or 10 years ago or before that. And, I would like to remind you, Nehru and Indira Gandhi developed Indian Armed Forces diligently over the years at a time when Modi, perhaps did not know how to wear his pyjamas", he said.

The chief minister regretted that Modi, despite being the PM of India never talks about real issues facing the farmers, youths, women and poor sections of the society.

"If terrorism is an issue, I would like to ask Modi when did Kargil take place, when was the Parliament attacked and when did Pulwama took place. In fact, he should apologize for the killing of 40 CRPF jawans in the Pulwama attack", Nath said.

Earlier, Digvijaya Singh, while saying that PM Modi devoted a lot of time on him in his address at Itarsi on Wednesday, said that he would like to tell him when he participated in Zakir Naik's programme, there were no cases against him.