Panaji: Prime Minister Narendra Modi took on the Aam Aadmi Party’s insinuation that the Election Commission was hand-in-glove with the BJP in fixing poll dates for both Punjab and Goa on the same day when he quipped that if you don’t trust the umpire, why come to play at all.

Earlier, Kejriwal had told News18 in a detailed interview that “the entire country knows the reason why elections in Punjab and Goa were being held on the same day”.

Address a poll rally in the Goan capital, Modi was scathing. “The pickpockets of democracy in India do not favour anybody,” he said.

Modi said the opposition was vehement in its attack because he had vowed to eradicate corruption in the country. “They are terrified and that's why they are attacking the government now," he said.

Also Read: PMO Decides Poll Dates, Not EC; And Modi is Very Vindictive: Kejriwal

The war of words between the EC and Delhi CM had heated up after the latter censured AAP chief for his statement, "Take money from others but vote for us," during a poll speech in Goa.

Taking potshots at the opposition for criticising every move of the central government, Modi said the opposition was already preparing to criticise the Union budget. “They are calling economists to comment on the upcoming budget,” he said.

Exhorting the Goa electorate to bring BJP to power with a comfortable majority, he said: "The people of India brought BJP to power with a comfortable majority in the Centre after thirty long years. People of Goa should also repeat the same."

"In the past 10 years, Goa has seen over a dozen Chief Ministers and it has created problems for the state," he said while appealing to the people to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The elections to the 40-member assembly will be held on February 4 and counting taken up on March 11.