Farmers Movement Archive

PM praises Bihar’s martyrs, slams ‘dark days’ of RJD rule

PATNA: In his first physical election rally since the Covid-19 pandemic gripped the country, PM Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the RJD-led opposition in Bihar even as he praised the martyred jawans of the state who laid down their lives in Galwan valley clashes with the Chinese army. From national issues such as China and abrogation of Article 356 to “dark days” of RJD rule and Nitish’s development work, he covered a wide array of issues in his three rallies. The PM’s first rally in the state began at Dehri (Sasaram), which was his first-ever joint appearance with CM Nitish Kumar for an assembly election in Bihar, followed by two more rallies at Gaya and Bhagalpur. At all three places, he began his speech in the local dialect — Bhojpuri, Magahi and Angika, which established an instant connect with the audiences. “Bihar has been India’s ‘Samman (honour)’, ‘Swabhiman (pride) and ‘Sanskaar (ethos)’. People here have been contributing to the growth in other parts of the country, and the Bihari Army jawans sacrificed their lives in Galwan Valley as well as during the Pulwama terror attack. I bow my head to them,” the PM said at Dehri, drawing applause. Attacking the Mahagathbandhan, he described the alliance as a drag on Bihar’s development and growth on a day the state also saw a high-pitched campaign by his fervent critic Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The PM came down hard on the opposition, especially Congress, for questioning his government’s policies on the farm laws, the MSP, and even the acquisition of the Rafael fighter planes from France, maintaining that the UPA, in its 10-year rule, did not increase the MSP while his government increased it by one-and-half times. “Their stand on MSP is just a pretext for their support to the ‘dalals (brokers)’ and middlemen. They also supported brokers and middlemen by making an issue out of the purchase of Rafel fighter planes. For them, national interest is not important. The interest of brokers and middlemen is more important,” the PM said. On abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir, the PM said, “People had been waiting for it for long. Now they (read Congress and J&K parties) have started saying that it will be revoked if they came to power. How so ever hard they might try, they should know that the country will not change its decision it has taken.” On Bihar, the PM insisted that re-electing the NDA government is “necessary to take the state along the path of development with complete ‘taalmel’ (coordination) with the Centre”. He adding that the Swamitva Yojana (property card scheme) launched in six states as a pilot project would also be implemented in Bihar once the NDA government returns to power. “The NDA government in the state has constructed roads and bridges with central assistance, and the tourist inflow through the Buddhist Circuit would increase once the international airport is completed at Kushinagar in UP, like at Bodh Gaya,” the PM said, taking note of the PM Package worth Rs 1.25 lakh crore that he had announced in 2015. Modi then went on to defend Nitish’s association with RJD and the UPA (2013-17) saying it had been a “sheer waste of time for Bihar,” since the UPA did not help Bihar. “Nitish split with the grand alliance and the Congress and joined the NDA only when it became too much for him to put up with the ‘family interests’ (that RJD chief Lalu Prasad pursued),” the PM said. Without taking the names of Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi, the PM said that the state’s development and growth had suffered during their 15-year rule during 19990-2005, which, however, was reversed by the NDA government headed by Nitish Kumar from 2005. “It restored the state’s glory and pulled it out from the category of “bimar (sick)” states,” the PM said, adding in Bhojpuri, “Lalten ka jamaana gaeel (Days of the lantern are over” The PM also called the 15-year rule of Lalu-Rabri duo as “dark days,” marked by murder, kidnapping for ransom, ubiquitous atmosphere of ‘khauf (fear)’ with doubts on the safe return of any girl or boy who had ventured out of the house. Again, without taking the names of grand alliance’s CM candidate Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Chirag Paswan, the PM put them as two “new faces” who had suddenly emerged and “bhram (confusion)” was being created around them. (With inputs from Alok Chamaria in Sasaram & Kumar Rajesh in Bhagalpur)

The Times of India

2020-10-24

Patna