Congress angry over Ram Temple construction: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday lashed out at the Congress and the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) saying they were angry over on the Ram Temple construction in Ayodhya. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bastar on Monday. (ANI)

“Ram Navami is not far away. This time, people will have a glimpse of our Ram Lalla in Ayodhya in a grand temple and not in a tent. If this dream has been fulfilled after 500 years, then it is very natural that Chhattisgarh, the nanihal [maternal grandparents home] should be most happy about it. But Congress and INDI Alliance are very angry with the construction of the Ram temple. The royal family of Congress rejected the invitation for the consecration of the temple,” said Modi at a rally in Chhattsigarh’s Bastar, which will go to the polls in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 19.

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“It shows that Congress can go to any level for appeasement. Congress’s manifesto has the imprint of Muslim League.” Modi said Congress leaders, who attended the consecration ceremony, were expelled from the party.

He accused Congress of being apathetic to the poor and neglecting their pain for decades after independence. Modi said his government stopped the Congress’s loot while accusing it of corruption. He added there were scams worth lakhs of crores before 2014.

Modi targeted the Congress by referring to the late former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s statement on graft. “In Congress’s regime, only 15 paise out of a rupee meant for the welfare of the people reached them. I am not saying this, the Prime Minister of Congress [Rajiv Gandhi] said this.”

Modi said the BJP government has sent ₹34 lakh crore directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. “Money sent from Delhi reached cent percent to the poor. Had the Congress been in power and 15 paise tradition continued, ₹28 lakh crore out of ₹34 lakh crore would have been embezzled.”

Modi said Congress thought that it had a license to loot. “After coming to power in 2014, Modi cancelled this license. Modi was able to cancel this license because you [people] gave the license to Modi.”

Modi targeted the Congress over Chhattisgarh’s opposition leader Charan Das Mahant’s remarks that his party needs a leader who can break the Prime Minister’s head. “When Congress shop was shut and their license to loot was cancelled, then they started abusing Modi. Who will protect me? It is the crores of my countrymen, my mothers and sisters… Strict action is being taken over the corruption of the previous [Congress] government in Chhattisgarh. The investigation has been intensified against those who have duped the youth. Angry over it, they are now threatening to break Modi’s head.”

Modi said he was not afraid of threats. “For Modi, my India is my family. I am busy in saving my country and my family from being looted. I say remove corruption and they say save the corrupt. The Congress and the opposition alliance are not holding election rallies but saving the corrupt. But all these people should listen carefully, no matter how many threats they give to Modi, the corrupt will have to go to jail. This is Modi’s guarantee.”

He said people wondered what would happen to the poor during the Covid-19 pandemic, but I said I would give free vaccines and ration to them. “Due to my government’s efforts, 2.5 million have risen above the poverty line.”

Modi claimed his government worked in the interest of tribals in the last 10 years.“Tribal community has always been the priority of the BJP. The daughter of the tribal community is today the President. It is the BJP that has given a tribal chief minister to Chhattisgarh. The BJP has created a separate ministry and a separate budget for tribal people.”