‘It has been engaged in dividing people on the basis of language, caste, custom, and tradition’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, here on Wednesday, called upon the people to vote with care, saying that the Congress would take over religious institutions if it comes to power.

He said it had hatched a conspiracy to take over all religious institutions, but could not proceed because of the court’s order.

Addressing a rally in Chikkamagaluru, Mr. Modi said, “The Congress will definitely take over the places of worship if it comes to power, by mistake. You have to be careful while voting. The religious institutions of the State have a long history of treating all people equally. However, the Congress has been engaged in bringing differences among them and dividing the people on the basis of language, caste, custom, and tradition.”

He began his speech greeting the people in Kannada. He mentioned Horanadu Annapurneshwari, Guru Dattatreya, Sringeri Shankaracharya, and Rambhapuri Renukacharya. Recalling the historic byelection of 1978, when Indira Gandhi contested from Chikkamagaluru, he said, “When the Congress had lost miserably in north India, she came to Chikkamagaluru to get elected to the Lok Sabha. She had made tall promises to the people here. Did she come back to you after that?”

Similarly, he said, her daughter-in-law [Sonia Gandhi] also contested in Ballari and promised a special package of Rs. 3,000 crore. “Soon after the election, the Congress came to power in the State. Where did the money go?” he said. Referring to Rahul Gandhi as a ‘naamdhar’, Mr. Modi said “He had been representing Amethi since 2004. Has he developed his constituency? Do you have faith in such people?”

He referred to Mr. Gandhi’s comment of “he being ready to become PM”, saying, “He thinks the PM’s chair is reserved for his family. When the Congress has been vanishing from State after State, he is dreaming of becoming Prime Minister. If this is not arrogance, what else is,” he asked.