AMETHI/NEW DELHI: BJP’s PM pick Narendra Modi stormed into Gandhi bastion of Amethi in support of his “chhoti behan” (referring Smriti Irani as younger sister) by launching a blistering attack on Gandhi family.
He even hinted at Congress making last-ditch to effort in the last 24 hours to buy votes.
In one of the biggest speeches and sharpest attacks on Congress and the Gandhi family so far, Modi mocked the Gandhi family’s bid to seek vote by raking up their relations from their father’s time while talking nothing on development.
He replied to every jibe that came from Gandhis in the past two weeks in a point-by-point rebuttal fashion.
Addressing an impressive gathering keeping in mind Amethi that is generally dubbed as Gandhi’s or rather Congress’s pocket borrough, Modi said: “Rahul bhaiyya had been saying that Modi indulges in politics of anger. However, today I will reveal several things. When Rajiv Gandhi was only Congress general secretary, he had gone to Andhra Pradesh. The then Andhra chief minister had come to receive him. However, Rajiv Gandhi got annoyed over something and reprimanded the chief minister who was double his age, in full public view much to his humiliation. Is this not the politics of anger?”
Continuing his attack, Modi added: “… Similarly his mother ‘Madam Sonia ji’, who though initially showed reluctance to join politics but later on made a back door entry by forcefully removing then Congress chief Sitaram Kesari, who was an OBC leader like him, through her goons. Is it not politics of anger?
Modi went on to say how “Rahul bhaiyya insulted the Prime Minister by terming a bill as nonsense” and tearing it before reporters.
Modi promised to come back in 2019 in Amethi to take account of the work done by Smriti Irani, whom he kept on calling “chhoti behan”.
Continuing his attacks on the Gandhi family throughout his speech, Modi while alerting the Election Commission, hinted at Congress making bid in the last 24 hours before the polling on May 7 to buy votes. “The market of Amethi has gone up. Congress ki gaadiyan nikal gayi hain. Kal jo Rs 5,000 ka tha ab Rs 25,000 ka hai,” Modi said and added that it was the test for the Election Commission to conduct election without coming under any pressure.
The scathing attack launched by Modi on Gandhi family at their comfortable turf is though being seen by political observers as the BJP PM’s all out yet last ditch effort to drum up support for a member of his team, Sangh Pariwar’s serious foray into Gandhi bastion had two main reasons.
BJP might not have thought to go for a win but probably they wanted their Amethi challenge to be seen as force multiplier for other constituencies in UP. Secondly, even if they lose Amethi, it would be hardly seen as a loss for a party that is all set to increase its tally both in UP and nationally,thus, making this loss insignificant.
Modi while mocking at Sonia’s statement that he strangely has started acting like a PM even though he was not, said: “I understand the pain of a mother who spent 10 years in preparing his son for the post in a bid to settle his career. I understand this.”
During his speech Modi didn’t even spare the media and said that they focus the camera on the face of family members and not on crowd because there are hardly 25 to 30 people.
Lambasting Priyanka Gandhi, who was drumming up support for his brother Rahul, for saying “who is Smriti?”, Modi without taking her name said that only this ruling family can have the ego to ask a question like that. However, in a democracy any person is the son of country “woh desh ka laal hota hai”, he said and went on to introduce Smriti Irani as his younger sister, whom he sent to Amethi not to settle any political score or out of political vendetta, but for the reason that Amethi was the most backward district in the state.
While ending his speech urging the voters to go out and vote in favour of lotus (BJP’s election symbol), Modi unlike in previous speeches not only spoke for around 55 minutes despite a soar throat, but also prolonged his stay after the speech on the dais acknowledging people’s greetings who had by that time broken the D-cordon to reach near the dais.
Modi also took the party flag from one of the supporters and waved it inviting huge applause from the gathering.
Modi has insulted my ‘martyred’ father: Priyanka
Reacting to Modi’s attack on her family and dragging her father Rajiv’s name, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra hit out at the BJP’s PM candidate saying he has insulted her “martyred” father Rajiv Gandhi during his speech in Amethi and accused him of indulging in “low-level” politics.
In a statement in New Delhi, she said: “Inhone Amethi ki dharti pe mere shaheed pitaa ka apmaan kiya hai, Amethi ki janta is harkat ko kahbi maaf nahi karegi. Inki neech rajniti ka jawaab mere booth ke karyakartaa denge … Amethi ke ek ek booth se jawaab aayega … (He has insulted my martyred father on the soil of Amethi. People of Amethi will never forgive him for this. Workers in Amethi will reply to his low-level politics. There will be reply from each of the polling booths).
