Be alert, don't allow Congress culture to enter BJP: PM Modi warns workers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a speech at the new BJP headquarters in New Delhi, congratulating the efforts of party workers in getting a majority for the BJP in the Tripura assembly elections.

The party broke the current CPI(M) Chief Minister Manik Sarkar's 25-year-long rule in the state, leaving Congress in the dirt with zero seats to its name.

Detailed below are some of the highlights of the prime minister's speech:

# Several workers of BJP have sacrificed their lives, our innocent workers were killed only due to ideological differences.

# Left parties killed our several workers. The killings of our workers have been answered by the public of Tripura through their vote. They fought against Maoist ideology. Fear & confusion are the weapons of leftist parties. Let’s observe two minutes silence in a mark of respect to workers who were killed in the Left violence.

# The Left party has received a befitting reply for spreading ‘bhay’ and ‘bhram’ among people in Tripura.

# Targeting Congress, PM Modi said that it has not been able to take the defeat sportingly, adding that people should accept even defeat gracefully.

# BJP chief Amit Shah has been the architect of this victory. Even in the remote North-East truth about BJP and BJP Government has reached the common man. I thank all the voters on behalf of BJP.

# Today, the entire country is painted with saffron. Our party is a party of all colours...from saffron to rainbow. In vastu, the North-East position is very important. According to vastu shastra, North-East is the most auspicious side. I am happy that north east is part of the ‘vikas yatra’. The North-East region has today come forward to lead India on the path to development.

# From being 'no one', BJP has 'won' today. This victory has been achieved with limited resources. No celebrities were used in these elections. Tripura elected team is the youngest team...we have a young team here, they have done wonders.

# When North Eastern people used to harass in Delhi, we sent the first message in 2014 by taking up these matters seriously. Rajnath Singh addressed the issue of violence against North-Eastern students.

#Our ministers travelled to the North-East states extensively, we sent more ministers to the region in the last 4 years than any other government since independence. BJP workers are being targeted and killed in states such as West Bengal, Kerala, even Odisha and now in Karnataka.

# Opposition always says this is vendetta...this is not vendetta, this is ‘mandate’. BJP has risen in every corner of the country due to hard work of the party workers.

# Congress party’s status has gone down even as some people have got elevated. Once, I had told a Congress Chief Minister that the party will soon become a specimen. Congress's popularity was never on a decline as it is today. BJP workers must be alert that it does not allow Congress culture in the party.

# People from North-East always felt that Delhi is far away from them, but with the ‘Doner Ministry’ in place, BJP has brought Delhi to their doorsteps.

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After the impressive performance of the BJP and its allies in the Tripura and Nagaland assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said people are reposing faith in the development-oriented agenda of the NDA, while rejecting negative and disconnected politics.

He said his party's historic victory in Tripura is "as much an ideological one". In a series of tweets, Modi said that "time and again, election after election, the people of India are reposing their faith in the positive and development oriented agenda of the NDA."

"People do not have the time or respect for negative, disruptive and disconnected politics of any kind.  The historic victory in Tripura is as much an ideological one.It is a win for democracy over brute force and intimidation. Today peace and non-violence have prevailed over fear. We will provide Tripura the good government that the state deserves," he said.

He thanked the people of Nagaland for supporting BJP and its allies. "I assure my sisters and brothers of Nagaland that we will continue to work for the progress and prosperity of Nagaland. I applaud the tireless work of the local BJP unit," he said, adding that the welfare of Meghalaya is of utmost importance for his government.

In a similar vein, Modi thanked the "Karyakartas" of the BJP in the states of Mehgalaya and Tripura for their efforts on the ground this Assembly election.

"I express my gratitude to the people of Meghalaya for supporting the BJP. The welfare of Meghalaya is of utmost importance for us. I appreciate the BJP Karyakartas for their continued efforts in the state to serve the people," Modi said.