PM Modi laid foundation stone for AIIMS, Bilaspur before addressing a public rally in Himachal

The entire leadership of the Congress party is "out on bail," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today, attacking Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi and also tagging Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's government in Himachal Pradesh as a "government on bail." PM Modi, who inaugurated work today on a series of projects in the hill state, seemed to signal the start of the BJP's campaign for assembly elections due later this year."Everything here is on bail. The party (Congress) is on bail, the government is on bail," the Prime Minister said at public meeting, ripping into the state's chief minister, a veteran Congressman who faces charges of corruption and is out on bail.The Prime Minister said the Congress' topmost leaders face corruption charges too, stating, "Sonia Gandhi is out on bail in the National Herald case, similarly the 'yuvraaj' (prince) is out on bail in the National Herald case. Everything is on bail -- the party, its leaders and its government are out on bail."His audience cheered with slogans of "Jai Shri Ram" as the Prime Minister also said, "Now tell me, don't we need to oust this government which is out on bail?"The BJP, the Prime Minister said, would "fulfill the dreams of Himachalis" if returned to power in the state. He highlighted his government's achievements in the last three years and comparing it to the previous Congress-led UPA government, which he said had made headlines mainly on account of scams. "Before 2014 everyday newspapers were filled with stories of corruption. But in the last three years there is no stain of corruption on our government," PM Modi said.The Congress at the Centre had delayed projects in Himachal Pradesh, he said, stating that a Rs 70 crore steel plant project that he inaugurated today was delayed for over seven years. PM Modi today also laid the foundation for a Rs 1,350 crore 750-bed AIIMS hospital in Bilaspur and said his government has approved work on 13 projects worth Rs 15,000 crore in the state which will not only bring employment but also boost tourism.

Since 1990, the Congress and the BP have alternately won assembly elections in Himahal Pradesh. This year, the Congress is on the backfoot over the corruption charges that its 83-year-old chief minister faces and is said to be considering not repeating him. But Virbhadra Singh has lined up a strong team of loyalists, who have threatened that they will not contest elections without Mr Singh being named for Chief Minister again.