Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the Congress of tricking people by making false promises to grab power, urging the people of Himachal Pradesh to start a new custom by returning the ruling BJP to power in the State.
Himachal Pradesh, which goes to polls on November 12, has alternated between BJP and Congress governments for more than three decades. Mr. Modi, who addressed rallies in Sundernagar and Solan on Saturday, said that voters need to return the BJP to power to make up for the damage done by the Congress in the State over the years.
“If the patient changes the medicine again and again, he cannot be cured. So how can there be development due to frequent changes of government? The custom of changing the government in Himachal alternately has become the reason for the hindrance in the development of Himachal. This time the custom has to be changed. Putting the BJP into power will ensure stability and progress,” said Mr. Modi.
Only four MPs
Accusing the Congress of ignoring the interest of the people of Himachal Pradesh over the years, Mr. Modi said the Congress always sidelined the State’s interests as it was small and sent only four MPs to the Lok Sabha.
“Congress had always tricked people by making false promises. Whenever Congress comes to power all the development works come to a standstill,” he said in Sundernagar. “For years, Congress made promises about the ‘One-Rank One-Pension’ scheme for army men but never implemented it. We came to power and implemented the OROP. The BJP works hard to ensure the fulfilment of all its promises.. Didn’t we fulfil the promise of abrogation of Article 370? We promised Ram Temple and today Ram Mandir is being built,” he added.
Mr. Modi alleged that after Independence, the Congress party committed the country’s first scam in the defence sector. “When the Congress was in power, they took commissions in defence deals and committed scams of thousands of crores. All this resulted in delays in buying weapons. Also, Congress never wanted the country to become self-reliant in defence material. By taking commissions, the Congress played with many lives,” alleged Mr. Modi.
Also read | Political lines blur in Kangra as parties bank on turncoats
Earlier, the Prime Minister visited Radha Soami Satsang at Beas in Punjab and met sect head Baba Gurinder Singh Dhillon. The sect has followers across the country, especially in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. With the Assembly elections in Himachal just around the corner, the visit is being seen as politically significant.
