At the Congress manifesto release on Wednesday, Mr. Gandhi had attacked Mr. Modi saying, “It is not about an individual, but he (Mr. Modi) represents a ideology and that is exclusionary ideology.”
Narendra Modi on Saturday hit back at Rahul Gandhi for attacking him on his links with RSS, saying he was “proud” of the ideology and the principles based on the “altar of sacrifice and service.”
“I am proud of the fact that I was born from an ideology. Yes, we have an ideology…Our ideology is society is above family…Mother India is everything for us. Our ideology is that we will live and die for the country,” he said addressing a public meeting in Baghpat.
“And that is why, you (Congress) cannot fight this ideology. Your entire family has never been able to fight with this ideology. This ideology is based on the altar of sacrifice and service,” he said.
At the Congress manifesto release on Wednesday, Mr. Gandhi had attacked Mr. Modi saying, “It is not about an individual, but he (Mr. Modi) represents a ideology and that is exclusionary ideology.”
The Congress vice president had also said that it is the ideology that makes people fight with each other and it will bring harm to the country and every Congressman will fight to defeat that ideology.
Taking a dig at Ajit Singh, the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate said the son of Chaudhary Charan Singh, who fought for the benefit of farmers, has “discarded” his father’s path for power. “We respect Chaudhary Charan Singh who fought against Congress policies so that farmers could benefit. It’s the dream of a child to fulfil his parent’s dream. But his son has left his father’s path. In society as well, if a son discards the path of his father, the society too does not accept him,” Mr. Modi said.
“For the sake of power, those who discard their father’s principles and even go to the party which troubled his own father, do you trust such a person?” Bagpat needs a grassroot leader,” he said. Uttar Pradesh will only benefit when people of the State get rid of dynastic politics, he said, adding this time there is a need for one slogan, removing SP, BSP and Congress. “Sabka chutti…Sa mane Sapa (SP), Ba mane Baspa (BSP) and Ka mane Kangress (Congress)” Mr. Modi said.
Attacking the Centre, Mr. Modi said the jawans who have sacrificed their lives for the country are not getting the respect they deserved. Talking about ‘One rank one pension’, he said Congress comes out with promises before every elections but never implements them. He said the scheme would have been implemented if Vajpayee’s government had come to power in 2004. He also said that the government had “little respect” for farmers and pointed out that more farmers have committed suicide than people who have died in terrorist attacks.
Accusing the government of being soft on Pakistan, he said the government was busy serving the visiting Pakistan Prime Minister with delicacies after its Army had beheaded an Indian soldier. He said the government at the Centre did not have the courage to tell Pakistan that the visit will take place later. “Lal Bahadur Shashtri gave the slogan ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’. Now Congress’s slogan seems to be ‘Mar Jawan, Mar Kisan’,” Mr. Modi said.
Criticising the poor power scenario in Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Modi said that in Gujarat if there is a power cut for two minutes, it makes front page news but in UP if it comes for two minutes, it becomes news. UP needs a new energy in democracy.
Questioning the will of the State government, Mr. Modi said the towns of Gautam Budh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Baghpat and others could have been made into satellite towns so that the pressure on Delhi could have been lessened. Attacking the State government, he said they indulge in vote bank politics to come to power and women are not safe in the State.
Mr. Modi said during the Independence struggle in 1857, the message was “free India from British rule and messenger was kamal (lotus and roti). In 2014, the messenger is Kamal and Modi.”
