Mandsaur: Addressing an election rally in Mandsaur, the hub of farmers’ unrest in 2017 which saw six farmers being killed, Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted the late Indira Gandhi on Saturday, saying her famous slogan 'garibi hatao' was a "false promise" and bank nationalisation was a "fraud" in the name of the poor.
Were not those who promised to eradicate poverty "liars", he said in a blistering attack on the Nehru-Gandhi family.
He also said if he gets half the time the Congress spent in power, he would bring about a transformation in the country.
PM Modi called the BJP a party which works for farmers and added the sins of five-six decades need time to be rectified. “We will bring a turnaround in half the time they got.”
The PM made special mention of late Home minister Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel saying had he been appointed the first Prime Minister, the farmers would have been in a different situation in the country.
Modi's remarks came in the wake of Congress president Rahul Gandhi's constant criticism that the BJP made "false promises" to the people in the run up to the 2014 polls.
Modi said the four generations of the Nehru-Gandhi ruled the country, but did not waste a single opportunity to "hoodwink" the people.
"Grandmother of the`Namdaar' (dynast), Shrimati Indira Gandhi, was prime minister of the country. Didn't she give the slogan of removing poverty 40 years ago?" he asked the gathering.
"Tell me honestly, has poverty been eradicated? Wasn't this a false promise? Weren't those who made the promise liars?" Modi asked.
The Prime Minister said that Indira Gandhi nationalised the banks "overnight" claiming that her government was opening their doors for the poor.
However, despite the nationalisation, half the people in the country had not seen the doors of the banks till 2014, he claimed.
"Wasn't it (nationalisation of banks) a fraud in the name of the poor?" he asked.
It was only after his government came up with the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana that the poor got access to the banking system, he said.
Indira Gandhi had given 'Garibi Hatao, Desh Bachao' (remove poverty, save the nation) slogan during the 1971 general election campaign.
He also discussed pro-farmer measures taken by the Centre and Shivraj government to uplift farming in the country while promising to double the agri income by the year 2022. We have established 22,000 e-grams and moderinising 600 mandis including 60 in MP.
He also lashed at UPA saying the remote controlled government charged 15-16% interest on agri loans but we lowered down it to 0%. He lauded CM Shivraj for increasing irrigated area in MP to five times what it was in Congress rule saying the Congress had taken 200-250 years to do the same.
Taking a jibe at Rahul Gandhi’s Make in Mandsaur mobile phone promise, Modi asked whether the Congress party mentioned it in manifesto.
“His party doesn't take him seriously, so would you take him seriously,” asked PM Modi.
Referring to a viral video of MPCC president Kamal Nath, in which he is seenurging Muslims to ensure 100 voting for his party in minority dominated areas, the Prime Minister accused Congress of indulging in divisive politics.
“If you think it’s Kamal Nath’s views, you are wrong as he doesn't speak without permission from Gandhis.”
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