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Updated: Apr 18, 2019 10:52 IST

Launching a scathing attack on the SP-BSP-RLD alliance, home minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said that it would be wiped out after the elections.

“Once bitter enemies, two parties with opposite ideologies have come together to counter PM Narendra Modi. They were aware that they will not be able to fight Modi on their own and that is why they have come together,” said Rajnath Singh, who was addressing a rally in Shahjahanpur, seeking votes for BJP’s candidate Arun Sagar.

“No party has the courage to counter Modi and that is why parties across India are coming together,” he added.

“The turnout and the trends of the first phase have given a clear indication of a ‘Modi wave’ and that is why they (other parties) have again started the EVM cry. I cannot understand when they win, the EVMs are perfect and when we win, they start saying that the EVMs are tampered with,” he said.

On Muslims voters, Rajnath said the BJP will get their votes by instilling confidence in them. “Other parties create insecurity amongst them for their vote. It is the BJP that brought the law against triple talaq and ensured that our Muslim mothers and sisters lead a respectable life,” he emphasised.

Taking potshots at the Congress, Singh said Rahul Gandhi is carrying forward the same promise, which his party could not fulfil in 50 years.

“Nehru, Indira and Rajiv had the same slogan ‘garibi hatao’ and now Rahul has taken charge. There were 12.5 crore people living below the poverty line when we took charge. And in the past five years, the figures have dropped to 5 crore,” he said.

“Poverty can only be eradicated if India is made Congress free. Development is the only difference between Congress and BJP. What they could not do in 55 years, we did in 5 years,” he said.

“Earlier governments (Congress) did not have the courage to give a reply to Pakistan. After the air strikes, Pakistan is lying isolated from the world,” added Rajnath Singh while in Moradabad to seek votes for the party’s Sambhal candidate Parmeshwar Lal Saini.