In Kangra, Narendra Modi compares Congress with termite

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chambi (Kangra), November 4

On the second day of his rallies in Kangra district, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on saturday said the Congress has conceded defeat in Himachal Pradesh as its senior leaders have "run away" from campaigning in the state leaving Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to his fate.

Addressing a rally at Chambi in Kangra, Modi launched a blistering attack on the Congress over corruption, likening the party to termites, and exhorted the people to finish it off by handing over three-fourth majority to the BJP in the November 9 Assembly election.

In a reference to the Congress' decision to mark the first anniversary of the demonetisation as black day, he said the opposition party would observe "blackmoney day" and burn his effigies as it was angry with his fight against corruption.

Modi claimed that the poor and the middle class were back to work but the dishonest people were angry with him and wanted to seek revenge from him as he forced them to deposit their bagfuls of cash with banks.

Seeking strong mandate in favour of the BJP, he said the state had progressed most when Prem Kumar Dhumal was its chief minister and Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the prime minister as the central government pumped in money which Dhumal used effectively for development of Himachal Pradesh.

Modi said he and Dhumal, who is the party's chief ministerial candidate, would take the state to new heights of development, adding that its infrastructure and tourism sectors needed a boost.  He said that the people greeted him right from Gaggal airport to the rally ground along the roads.

“We have seen many elections but so much enthusiasm in people is unprecedented,” he said.

He said the Congress would not be found in Himachal after the elections.

“No need to tell people about the wave of the BJP as they are out to punish the Congress”, he said.

He said: “India has attained respect at the international level. I am not the reason, but the people of this country, who gave decisive mandate to the BJP.

He said: “Youth from Himachal serve in the Army. The government’s work is to implement development schemes. However, the Congress had just laid foundation stones.”

He said: “My government announced to give power to 18,000 villages in 1,000 days. 15,000 villages have already got it. The Congress is getting punished due to its misdeeds as corruption still the biggest issue. I am the target, because I am fighting corruption.”