Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked first-time voters to dedicate their votes to the forces that carried out an air strike in Pakistan’s Balakot and Congress president Rahul Gandhi accused him of running away from a debate on corruption on Tuesday, ratcheting up the rhetoric just two days before voting begins in this summer’s general elections.

Modi’s reference to security personnel at a public rally prompted the Election Commission of India to seek a report after the Communist Party of India (Marxist) alleged a poll code violation in view of an EC directive that has asked parties and leaders to exercise caution while making any reference to the armed forces in campaigns.

At his rallies in Maharashtra and Karnataka, Modi reiterated the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) commitment towards national security, blamed the Congress for the creation of Pakistan, and alleged that the Congress’s election manifesto and Pakistan were speaking the same language.

Campaigning in Assam, Gandhi renewed his attack on the Centre over corruption charges and said the PM did not want to debate the issue with him. Separately, on Twitter, he said the BJP’s election manifesto, which was released in New Delhi on Monday, was short-sighted and arrogant.

The war of words came on the last day of campaigning for the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections. Ninety-one constituencies in 18 states and two Union Territories will vote on April 11, kick-starting a seven-phase exercise in which Modi is seeking another term against a resurgent Congress and regional alliances.

In Maharashtra’s Latur district, Modi said Pakistan would not have been created had Congress leaders acted wisely during the pre-Independence days. “Can your first vote be dedicated to those who carried out the air strike?” he appealed to first-time voters.

Modi was referring to the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) February 26 action against a terror camp deep inside Pakistan.

IAF strike in Balakot was India’s response to the February 14 suicide bombing that killed 40 security personnel who were part of a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama. Balakot and Pulwama have figured prominently in India’s election narrative, with the BJP-led government saying it took decisive action against terrorism and the Opposition asking for proof of casualties in the IAF air strike.

Under the BJP’s watch in the “New India”, forces will kill terrorists by entering their dens, Modi said at the rally in Ausa town, where voting will be held in the second phase.

“The language that Pakistan has been using is now seen in the Congress manifesto... the Congress, in its manifesto, is talking about not removing [Article] 370... Had the Congress acted wisely and stood up with courage to not allow the Partition of India in 1947 at any cost, then Pakistan would not have been born,” he said. “The Congress has said it wants to do away with the sedition laws. Pakistan too wants this. It wants free hand for those who want to work against India,” he added.

Union minister Ramdas Athawale, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, too, attended the rally. Holding Thackeray’s hand, Modi walked on the stage, in what could be seen as a message to workers of the BJP and the Shiv Sena which agreed to fight the Lok Sabha elections in an alliance after prolonged bickering.

Modi also targeted Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in his speech. “Some people are demanding a separate PM for Jammu and Kashmir. Now Congress and NCP have also joined them,” Modi said, referring to National Conference leader Omar Abdullah’s recent comment that his party will strive for the state’s autonomy that could accommodate a “Sadar-e-Riyasat (President)” and a “Wazir-e-Azam (Prime Minister)”.

While Modi stuck to his rhetoric on national security, Gandhi turned the heat on the government with the reiteration of his allegations about corruption and “fake promises” made by the BJP in its previous election campaign.

“Chowkidar [watchman] is not only chor [thief] but also a coward. I told the chowkidar to debate with me as he talks about corruption. He does not have the guts and fled,” Gandhi said at a public rally in Assam, underlining the term (chowkidar) that PM Modi uses to describe himself.

In Hailakandi, which will vote in the second phase on April 18, he repeated his charge that the Modi government worked to benefit just rich businessmen. “After the Congress comes to power in 2019, the headline will be `Poor people are given money’,” he said.

He also spoke of the Congress’s promise of implementing the much-talked-about minimum income guarantee scheme for the poorest families and the party’s pledge of working towards 33% women’s reservation in Parliament and state assemblies.

Hitting out at the BJP manifesto on Twitter, Gandhi posted, “The Congress manifesto was created through discussion. The voice of over a million Indian people it is wise and powerful. The BJP Manifesto was created in a closed room. The voice of an isolated man, it is short sighted and arrogant.”

In its manifesto released in New Delhi on Monday, the BJP promised zero tolerance to terrorism and pledged to implement the National Register of Citizens in different parts of the country to weed out infiltrators, while also reiterating its commitment to building a Ram temple in Ayodhya and scrapping Article 370 and Article 35A, which give special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

In Karnataka’s Chitradurga, Modi attacked the Opposition, saying the country should have a strong prime minister whose high command should be the people. Attacking the efforts of the Opposition to forge alliances against the BJP, he said the country should not have a government whose remote control was in the hands of a dozen people.

Later in the day, Gandhi said his party had come up with “NYAY” (justice), a reference to the proposed minimum income guarantee scheme, to undo the “anyay” (injustice) done by the Centre.

He said the proposed scheme, known by the acronym “NYAY”, was a realistic measure that could be implemented without harming the economy or increasing the tax burden on the common people “unlike the boastful promise made by Modi [ahead of the 2014 election] of remitting ~15 lakh into the bank accounts of all poor people in the country.”

First Published: Apr 09, 2019 22:25 IST