Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 9 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday sought to take credit for successfully organising the Kumbh fair in Prayagraj, claiming that the entire world has been praising India for making excellent arrangements for the world's largest religious congregation.

"On one side, there was a Commonwealth games scam and on the other there is the Kumbh fair. Crores of people come from across the world. Prayagraj made such arrangements that the world is praising India," he said at an election rally here.

PM Modi asserted that successfully organising an event as big as the Kumbh fair builds the image of the country. "Such events make the image of Uttar Pradesh and India," he said.

Modi claimed that his government was working in the right direction to make revered Ganga clean.

He said, "We are striving in the right direction to make Ganga clean."

Aiming to tap young voters staying in Prayagraj to prepare for competitive exams, he said, "This is the first time that students belonging to general category will get reservation. I hope you would take out some time from your studies and go to vote for a New India."

Modi told students, "I appeal to you to vote for changing the old political thinking and ensuring India's participation in the fourth industrial revolution."

Hinting at his government's move to revoke the security cover of Kashmiri separatist leaders, he said: "During Congress rule, some people used to live and eat in India but sing to the tunes of Pakistan. Now, it will not be tolerated, supporting terror and terrorists while living in India."

Continuing his tirade against the Congress, Modi said, "Earlier, there was a perception that development could be brought only by levying high taxes and increasing inflation. In the last years, the speed and scale of infrastructure development were double but we reduced the taxes."

Recalling the 2016 surgical strike and the February 26 Balakot air strike carried out during his tenure, the Prime Minister attacked the grand old party for adopting a soft policy towards terrorism when it was in power.

"Five years ago, the government of India did not even think of crossing border during the so-called peace years. The government used to tolerate the tantrums and the wound inflicted by Pakistan," he stated.

Five phases of elections are now over in Uttar Pradesh. Polling will be held in the last two phases on May 12 and May 19 for the remaining 27 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats. The counting of votes will be done on May 23. (ANI)