Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Nov 2: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday claimed that the country was proud over the Indian army’s success in “Operation Sindoor” against Pakistan but the Congress and its “Mahagathbandhan” ally Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) did not like it.
Addressing a rally at Arrah in poll-bound Bihar, Mr Modi said, “The explosions took place in Pakistan, but the Congress royal family spent sleepless nights. The naamdaars of Pakistan and Congress are yet to recover from the shock of Operation Sindoor,” he said in a scathing attack on the Gandhis.
Mr Modi addressed public rallies in Arrah and Nawada in poll-bound Bihar on Sunday and held a ‘mega roadshow’ in Patna in the evening. The union home minister Amit Shah addressed a poll rally in Muzaffarpur, promising infrastructural development and taking jibes against the RJD’s “jungle raj.”
The Prime Minister also took a swipe at the Opposition alliance over reports of a tussle over seat-sharing. “The NDA is moving forward with the pledge of Viksit Bharat (developed India). On the other side, Congress and RJD are coming to blows. I am sharing the inside story. A day before the deadline for withdrawing nominations, a game of thugs played out behind closed doors in Bihar. Congress never wanted to name an RJD leader the alliance’s Chief Ministerial candidate, but RJD did not lose the opportunity. RJD held a katta (gun) to Congress’s head and stole the Chief Minister post. They forced the announcement of the Chief Minister candidate,” he said.
“The tussle between RJD and Congress has intensified. Congress was not consulted on the manifesto, and is not being heard over the campaign. If there is so much hatred before the polls, they will start breaking each other’s heads later. Remember, such people cannot work for Bihar’s betterment,” the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister drew a comparison between NDA’s ‘susashan’ (good governance) and the darkness of ‘jungle raj’ — a term BJP uses to criticise the Lalu Yadav regime. “Jungle Raj is the darkness that hollowed Bihar out. RJD’s Jungle Raj is identified by katta (gun), kroorta (cruelty), katuta (bitterness), kusanskar (superstition), kusashan (misgovernance), and corruption,” he said. “Nitish Kumar and the NDA government have brought Bihar out of that difficult era,” he said.
Mr Modi hailed the NDA’s poll promise to provide ₹3,000 in addition to the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi to farmers in Bihar, saying “jinhe koi nahi poochhta, Modi unhe poojta hai” (Modi worships those whom no one else cares about). He took a jibe at the Opposition, claiming that the previous governments did not prioritise small farmers.
He said, “The governments after independence did not prioritise small farmers. But this is Modi, ‘jinhe koi nahi poochhta, Modi unhe poojta hai’ (Modi worships those whom no one else cares about). In the last 11 years, our government has brought small farmers to the centre of the agriculture policy.” He promised employment and infrastructure. “Condition of power connectivity in Bihar was such that people used to dry clothes on electrical wires; we changed it,” he said, criticising the previous RJD regime. “The RJD and Congress care about just two families; one most corrupt in Bihar, another most corrupt in country,” he alleged.
The Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised the BJP-led government in Bihar, highlighting the State’s dire economic condition, rampant corruption, and deteriorating law and order situation. Mr Ramesh questioned the government’s role in allowing numerous paper leaks and recruitment exam scams, which have jeopardised the future of lakhs of young people. He demanded to know why the business of selling fake degrees was permitted.
The Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Prime Minister was not only “scared” of US President Donald Trump, but was also “remote controlled” by big business. Mr Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, made the stinging attack in poll-bound Bihar, where he addressed back-to-back rallies in Begusarai and Khagaria districts.
“Having a huge chest does not make you strong. Just look at Mahatma Gandhi, who had a frail build but took on the British, who were the superpowers of the time,” he said. “On the other hand, we have Narendra Modi with his boast of a 56-inch chest, who got a panic attack when Trump called him during Operation Sindoor, and the military conflict with Pakistan ended in two days. He is not just scared of Trump, but is also being remote-controlled by Ambani and Adani,” he alleged.
Targeting Mr Modi, the Congress leader Sachin Pilot questioned, “Modi ji is coming for roadshow in Bihar today, but how many promises has he fulfilled regarding Bihar — 1.25 lakh crore package implementation, bringing investment, ensuring employment, and doubling farmers’ income?” He alleged that the roads on which the PM will travel today are the same on which “students were beaten” for protesting against unemployment and other issues.
Referring to NDA’s election manifesto, Mr Pilot alleged that the alliance was “misleading people” by making “new false promises” even as “old assurances have not materialised.” He said, “The NDA had the opportunity to work for the development of Bihar over the last 20 years, but it has failed to do so, and keeps floating new promises.” He claimed that Bihar was grappling with migration and unemployment, and “only a change in government can help people escape from this situation.”