lok-sabha-elections

Updated: May 05, 2020 16:48 IST

Lashing out at opposition parties that claimed the EVMs were being manipulated, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday said the ‘mahamilawatis’ have realized they stand no chance after three phases of elections and are looking for excuses to defend their poor show.

Addressing a rally here, Modi said the opposition parties have no option left but to accept defeat.

At a press meet Tuesday, leaders of several major opposition parties raised doubt over the credibility of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), renewing their demand for verification of the machines.

“Just like a child who makes excuses to justify his underperformance in exams, opposition parties have started directing their anger on the EVMs and the voting process for their shortfalls.

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“The response in first three phases of polls have left opposition with no option but to accept defeat,” he said.

Hitting out at the Congress, the prime minister said the “party that ended up shedding tears when Pakistan threatened India is eyeing the seat in Delhi”.

In a scathing attack on Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy for his alleged remark on the armed forces, Modi said those who believe that the poor join the army to make ends meet should drown to death.

“It takes a lot of courage to fight on the border.

Those that say that only the poor join the army to make ends meet should drown to death,” he asserted.

Insisting that Indians everywhere were the responsibility of the ‘chowkidaar’ (watchman), the PM said he never discriminated people on the lines of religion or caste.

“When 46 nurses were held captive in Iraq, we did our best to get our daughters back. When Kolkata’s Judith D’Souza was kidnapped in Afghanistan, we rescued her. This chowkidaar is always concerned about the safety of the country’s daughters,” he claimed.

Expressing gratitude to the people of Jharkhand, who turned up in large numbers for Tuesday’s roadshow in the state capital, Modi said, “The response that I received in Ranchi was overwhelming. I was touched. It wasn’t a planned programme. The state unit of BJP requested me for the show only two days ago and I am glad that agreed to the proposal.”

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)