Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Express photo by Neeraj Priyadarshi)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday attacked the Left for its alleged violent politics and took potshots at the Congress for its purported growing irrelevance.
In an address to BJP workers at the new party headquarters following the announcement of results of the Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland polls, Modi profusely praised party president Amit Shah for showing that even without a face, elections can be won purely on organisational strength.
Targeting Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, Modi said that while one party president was growing in stature, posting one victory after another, there were parties whose leaders were losing their stature day by day.
Congratulating BJP workers for the victory and remembering the sacrifices they had made en route, Modi said, “Leftist parties and those following Maoist ideology have unleashed tyranny on the people. It is a show of democracy’s strength that people have answered that ‘chot’ with vote.”
The PM said that several BJP workers had been killed in the last six months for political reasons in states like Kerala, Karnataka, Tripura and Odisha. “But we have kept quiet. A few times when we have taken some step, they have cried vendetta. This is not vendetta. This is mandata,” Modi said to thunderous applause from the crowd of BJP workers gathered at the party headquarters here.
As azaan was heard from a nearby mosque, the PM halted his speech and asked everyone to maintain silence. As soon as the azaan ended, he resumed his speech, and there were uproarious chants of ‘Jai Shree Ram’ from the crowd. Modi later observed a two-minute silence for the “sacrifice” of party workers allegedly killed during election campaigns.
He said the media believes that elections are won by leaders who are visible and have great oratory skills, but in the Northeast the BJP had none. “TV channels will look for these leaders today to give credit. When they don’t find them, they will credit Modi and Shah. But the people who have ensured the victory are there (in the Northeast),” Modi said.
The PM, however, did shower Shah with praise. “BJP is a party which has a president who is going from one victory to another. But there are such parties too, where people are growing in their post but going down in stature. Congress’s position has never been so low as it is today,” he said.
He said the BJP was doing well in the Northeast because of government policies towards developing the region and ensuring they do not feel alienated. “Northeast people used to say Delhi is too far. We brought Delhi to their doorstep. The number of ministers who have visited the Northeast in the past four years is greater than those who have visited in 70 years since independence,” Modi said.
He said that despite misinformation campaigns, party workers had ensured BJP’s journey from “No one” to “Won” and from ‘shunya’ to ‘shikhar’. In an oblique reference to the momentum being in favour of the BJP for 2019 polls, Modi said that those who believe in Vastu Shastra consider the north-eastern part of the house most important and focus on it. Now that the party has ensured that that part is in good shape, the entire building will remain strong, he said.
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