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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday took a swipe at the Congress over its manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections, alleging that it smacks of appeasement and reads like a poll document of the erstwhile 'Muslim League'.
Addressing a rally in Bihar's Nawada, PM Modi accused the Opposition bloc--INDIA of trying to divide the country. "The leaders of the INDI alliance talk about another partition of India. The leaders of the Congress party are openly advocating separate nationhood for South India. The Congress manifesto that was released earlier smacks of appeasement and reads like a poll document of the Muslim League," PM Modi said. The Congress manifesto, released in Delhi on Friday, focuses on job creation and infrastructure development and also features the party's promise of a caste census, which has been a major focal point since the Bihar government released the results of a caste survey last year. The manifesto also promises a minimum support price, which has been a key demand of farmers, as well as universal free healthcare. PM Modi also urged the people not to forget that the INDIA bloc leaders declined the invitation to the 'Pran Pratishtha' of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on January 22, this year. "Modi had guaranteed that a grand temple of Ram Lalla will be built in Ayodhya and today the peak of the grand Ram temple touches the sky. The Congress and the RJD made every effort to prevent the Ram Temple from seeing the light of day. The temple is a reality today. They declined the invitation to the 'Pran Pratishtha' of the Ram temple. Some leaders from the Congress did attend the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of the Ram temple, defying the party line, but ended up being expelled for 6 years. As the Navaratri draws near, do remember how they (Opposition leadrs) sinned by spurning the Ram Temple invite," PM Modi added. Taking a further pot shot at the Opposition, he said his guarantees to the people were giving a lot of heartburn to members in the INDIA bloc. "The guarantees of Modi are troubling INDI alliance members; they don't like them. A very big leader of INDI alliance said, 'Modi, your guarantees should be banned'. Are they scared of Modi's guarantees? If I tell my countrymen that I will work 24 hours, is it a crime?...Modi gives a guarantee and works hard to fulfil it. I had also given the guarantee that Article 370 will be removed (from the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir). What was the result? Was Article 370 removed or not?" PM Modi said. "Modi gives guarantees because his intentions are pure and he works hard to fulfil them. However, leaders in the INDI alliance won't understand this. They are known to spout lies for votes," he said. The BJP has fielded Vivek Thakur, the party's Rajya Sabha MP and son of senior BJP leader and former Union minister CP Thakur, from Nawada Lok Sabha constituency this year. Earlier on April 4, PM Modi launched the NDA's Lok Sabha election campaign in Bihar with a rally in Jamui constituency. Polling will be held in Nawada, Gaya, Aurangabad and Jamui Lok Sabha constituencies in the first phase on April 19. As per the NDA's seat-sharing arrangement in Bihar for the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP is contesting 17 seats and its ally JD (U) 16. Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will contest 5 Lok Sabha seats in the state while the Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) will contest from one seat each. (ANI)
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