Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing a public meeting in Bhuj on Monday. (Express photo: Javed Raja) Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing a public meeting in Bhuj on Monday. (Express photo: Javed Raja)

Launching BJP’s election campaign from Bhuj of Kutch district, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tried to strike an emotional chord with the people of the Gujarat while suggesting that Opposition Congress was hurling abuses at him – Son of Gujarat – which no Gujarati would tolerate. With that, Modi also repeated his argument of Congress and Gandhi-Nehru family hating Gujarat and Gujaratis from the time of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

“For the past few days, people from across the country have hurled so much mud that it has made blossoming of Lotus very easy,” said Modi.

Saying that Gujarat will not forgive Congress people ever, he said, “Gujarat has never accepted you because you never hesitated in pushing Gujarat back while holding prejudice against it since the time of Sardar Patel.”

“I have come here as your son. You have brought me up like a son. And how dare you (Opposition Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi) come to Gujarat and abuse her son?” said Modi.

He then added, “Will any Gujarati forgive that? Will you forgive the attack on your son? Will you forgive the atrocity on your son?” amid screams of ‘No’ from the public.

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“Gujarat had tolerated the injustice you had done to it during the time of Sardar Patel. But, now times have changed. Gujarat will not tolerate insults. You must understand it,” Modi said.

Before this, Modi attributed his public life as an administrator to Kutch district while referring to 2001 Gujarat earthquake. Modi was made the chief minister of Gujarat in October 2001, ousting Keshubhai Patel.

“It was the earthquake that forced me to lead a new life. I used to do social work while holding a ‘thelo (bag)’. Vajapayeeji (the then Prime Minister) had sent me and gave me responsibility as Chief Minister. I learnt the first letter of administration from Kutch. People of Kutch have done my training after the earthquake,” he said.

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Modi said that ‘Vikas’ is his mantra for Gujarat that he began in 2001 after the earthquake. He cited several instances of Kutch’s progress under his leadership in various sectors like tourism, agriculture, infrastructure etc. Modi said that BJP had transformed Kutch into a land of development from what it once used to be known as the land of ‘smugglers.’

He also asked the people to compare the work done after 2001 earthquake and the one done 60 years ago after an earthquake when Jawaharlal Nehru was the Prime Minister.

On one such instance under his leadership, Modi cited the success story of Kesar mango of Kutch, and without naming Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, “Certain people can’t understand certain things. If you tell them about Kesar mango, they will say that one gets Kesar (saffron) in Jammu & Kashmir. Now, tell me should I waste time in arguing with such people?” The audience replied in negative while screaming, ‘Pappu.’

“I want to tell those who are spreading only pessimism, ‘Please, don’t weigh the country with your weaknesses. You do not have ‘Niyat’, ‘Niti’, ‘Neta’ or ‘Nata with Soil (connect with reality)’,” said Modi in an apparent attack on Congress and Rahul Gandhi.

Modi also attacked opposition Congress on the issue of terrorism and said, “Recently, a Pakistani court released a terrorist. I cannot understand, if why are Congress people clapping…in Doklam, Indian Army was standing with eye to eye on border (with Chinese army) for 70 long days, you were embracing Chinese ambassador. When Indian soldier was standing against Chinese soldiers in chilling temperatures, you were giving hugs to Chinese ambassador. What was that?

Modi also referred to the surgical strike of Indian army in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Our soldiers killed them in their homes.

“And you could not honour Indian army?…if you cannot maintain the dignity of the Indian army, you should have at least stayed silent…And you asked questions like why did even a single soldier not get injured or killed (in the surgical strike), is there a video or picture of it…,” said Modi while adding, ” Did we go to shoot a film there?” “Should we shoot it like you do while having food at a poor family’s home?” Modi asked amid screams of ‘Modi, Modi’ in the audience.

Modi also attacked Congress over demonetisation and GST. He said that Congress was yet to recover from the shock of demonetisation. On GST, he said that the government was gradually bringing changes to it as per requirements.

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