PM Modi says Nitish "arrogant", launches scathing attack on Congress

 

"In this election, it is very clear which way the wind is blowing...The people of Bihar are unstoppable. I salute them," he said while addressing a rally.

He came to Saharsa from Arrah after announcing a Rs. 1.25 crore special package for Bihar and launching a highway project.

Modi, whose party is desperate to win the Bihar election, due by November this year, trained his gun at Nitish Kumar and his ally Congress as both the parties have teamed up taking along the Lalu Prasad's RJD to stop BJP inroads.

Reminding the people that the state government had returned a cheque from Gujarat for the relief of victims of Kosi floods in the region, the Prime Minister said it happened because of a person whose arrogance prevailed over the pain of the people.

"There was a flood in Kosi. 35 lakh families were destroyed...The people of Gujarat, with their hard-earned money, had sent a cheque of Rs. five crore...But arrogance of thos in power here was so high that while you were in pain, they sent back the cheque," Modi said.

"If someone launches a personal attack on me, I never comment about them in public...But when because of arrogance, the pain of the people is toyed with, I can't stop myself."

"Its people like these who have shattered the dreams of Bihar...Friends, what can you expect from these people?," he asked.

Modi also launched a scathing attack on the Congress, saying the party had played the tormentor of Jayprakash Narayan, a son of Bihar and "pride of the nation", during the Emergency clamped by the Indira Gandhi government in 1975.

He said :"Tell me is Jayaprakash Narayan the pride, the life of our nation or not? Has he made Bihar proud or not?...Congress. Indira Gandhi had locked Jayaprakash Narayan in jail...who is responsible for the death of JP? These people of Congress."

"But today, the people who played with JP's life are teaming up with those in power.Will this not hurt his soul?...For the lust of power, is it right to partner with people like these?"

Commenting on the state's law and order situation, the Prime Minister said number of serious crimes has shot up to 18,500 from 13,808 in just two months from January this year. " On every parameter, the life of the common man is at peril...In this election do you want to stop these murders and riots? You just have to elect a strong government."

Referring to the perennial problem of floods in the Kosi, Modi said  its origin lies in Nepal, but the state government has not ever cared for a permanent solution while he has taken it up with the Nepal government to save the region.

"It doesn't take 70 minutes to go to Nepal from Patna. But it took an Indian PM 17 years...We went, sat down and talked in detail about the troubles of the Kosi region," he said.

The Prime Minister also referred to the special package he announced for Bihar earlier in the day : "When I had come before the elections, I had said if we came to power we would announce a 50,000 rupee crore package...Parliament Session has ended, and I have announced a package of Rs.1.25 lakh crore to change the face of Bihar."