Samajwadi Party going soft on Congress despite Mayawati attacking grand old party: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the Samajwadi Party of adopting a soft stance on the Congress, implying a rift in the SP-BSP opposition alliance against the BJP in Uttar Pradesh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the Samajwadi Party of adopting a soft stance on the Congress, implying a rift in the SP-BSP opposition alliance against the BJP in Uttar Pradesh. Addressing a BJP rally at Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh, Modi said while the Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati is attacking the Congress, a Congress leader is sharing the stage with the SP. The apparent reference was to Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's presence at a Samajwadi Party meeting in Rae Bareli on Thursday. "The SP is going soft on the Congress, but its alliance partner BSP chief Mayawati is attacking the Congress," he said. Modi said the Congress has been reduced to the status of 'vote katwa' party for cutting the votes of other parties and it will soon witness its downfall. Attempting to draw a wedge in the SP-BSP-RLD alliance, Modi claimed that BSP chief Mayawati has understood that the SP and the Congress are playing a "big game" with her. "Now, this is clear that the SP has derived mileage from Mayawati through the gathbandhan. She was kept in dark. There were talks about respect. It was said that you (Mayawati) will be made the prime minister, but now Behenji has understood that the SP and the Congress are playing a big game with her," he said. Modi said there are dangers of corruption, opportunism, casteism, dynastic politics and non-governance from this alliance. "The panja (hand) of mahamilaawat is very dangerous," he added. Accusing the Congress and its president of attempting to tarnish his image over the Rafale issue, he took a jibe at former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. "Your father was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as 'Bhrastachari number 1' (corrupt number 1)," Modi said. He claimed that the Congress chief had admitted in a interview that his only aim is to tarnish the image of Modi. "By hurling abuses, you cannot dissolve the 50-long year of Modi's tapasya (struggle) in dust," the prime minister said. "By tarnishing my image and by making me small, these people want to make an uns table and a weak government in the country," he added. Modi said "only the BJP can give a stable government " as he led the gathering chanting "phir ek baar...Modi sarkar (once again, Modi government)". The prime minister alleged that the Congress is known for dividing the country and the people and splitting the votes. "The naamdaar must clearly listen, that this Modi was not born with a golden spoon, nor was he born in any royal family," he said. He accused the Congress of encroaching upon the land of farmers in the name of development. "Land of farmers was taken on the pretext of setting up factories, but instead was used for cultivation of (currency) notes," Modi said. This has happened in Amethi, he added. He also recalled how the Congress had withdrawn support from governments at the Centre in the past leading to political instability. "The last time when the Third Front government was formed at the Centre, it lasted only for two years and during this duration, there were two prime ministers. The government of Chandra Shekhar could not last, as the Congress withdrew its support. The alliance of SP and BSP did not last for two years," Modi said. "Now the people have come together dreaming of to be in power and to prevent themselves from going to jail," he said. He said his government was sternly dealing with terrorism. "These people had created a hype of Hindu terrorism. Today, the terrorists and their masters are praying that Modi should not come to power, but the country is saying 'phir ek baar Modi sarkaar'," he said.