'2024 LS polls a battle between stability & instability': PM Modi hits out at Congress & INDIA bloc in Maharashtra

Chandrapur (Maharashtra) : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday slammed the Congress and the INDIA bloc, saying that the upcoming Lok Sabha elections are a battle between stability and instability.

"On one side is the BJP and the NDA taking crucial decisions for the country for its growth to scale a new high and on the other, the Congress and the INDIA bloc are aiming to enjoy power and take commissions. Maharashtra understands very well how much a stable government is necessary," PM Modi said while addressing a rally here amid slogans of 'Modi Modi'.

PM Modi began his speech in Marathi and extended Navratri and Gudi Padwa wishes to the people. He also made a special mention of Chandrapur from where wood was sent for the construction of Ram Mandir and the new Parliament building.

PM Modi, who launched the MahaYuti's poll campaign for BJP nominee Sudhir Mungantiwar from Chandrapur and Ashok Nete from Gadchiroli-Chimur, said that as long as the Congress-led government was in the country, Maharashtra continued to be neglected.

He also accused the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government for either scrapping or putting a brake on a slew of development projects in Maharashtra.

"Even when the MVA government gained power in Maharashtra, the parties and their leaders thought of their own development and their families. They also thought about commissions and contracts. Amid all that, the development was hampered due to commissions or shares demanded by the ruling parties," PM Modi said.

He also said that the then MVA government stopped the Jalyukt Shivar Yojana (water conservation scheme launched by the erstwhile Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government), Baliraja Irrigation Scheme and also opposed the Mumbai Nagpur Samruddhi Highway which was launched during the BJP rule to give push to Vidarbha's development.

"Further, the MVA government also stopped the refinery development in the Konkan region and construction of the Mumbai Metro project. Some of these projects were stopped despite the allocation of Central funds. Their aim was to earn a commission or put a brake on the work," PM Modi said.

Praising the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government, PM Modi said: "However, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar have revived various projects which were stopped or scrapped by the MVA government and are working for scaling up Maharashtra's development.

"Our government has started all these schemes for the development of Maharashtra. The work on development is being completed rapidly," he noted.

Criticising the Congress, PM Modi said the party has been solely responsible for many problems faced by the country and also for the slow pace of development while other countries had made progress.

"The Congress is like a 'bitter gourd'... and the party will never change. Despite being mixed with sugar or oil, its (bitter gourd's taste) always remains bitter," PM Modi said.

He also criticised the Congress for the appeasement of minorities, terror attacks, problems in Jammu and Kashmir, and putting roadblocks on the construction of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya.

"The Congress has lost support due to such factors. The party has now adopted the policy of divide and rule. The Congress manifesto contains the language of the Muslim League. Will the country accept that? Their MPs are talking about partition of India... a separate South India. DMK people are calling Sanatan Dharma dengue and malaria. Such people are brought to Maharashtra by fake Shiv Sena (in an oblique reference to Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena) people for rallies," PM Modi said.

PM Modi also criticised Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over "why does Modi talk about Kashmir wherever he goes in the country" remark.

''Isn't this a divisive idea? When the houses of Kashmiri Pandits were burnt in Kashmir, Balasaheb Thackeray took a stand against the Congress. At that time, Balasaheb Thackeray did not think about the relationship between the Kashmiri Pandits and the people of Maharashtra," PM Modi said, adding" "I am happy that Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena is taking Balasaheb Thackeray's ideas forward."

PM Modi further said: "I do not come from any royal family. You (addressing the people) brought me here. People who did not have houses were Dalits, underprivileged and tribals. They had no drinking water. There were no roads, education, facilities. So, Modi has given a guarantee that our government will work to change the lives of Dalits, tribals and backward families. We worked hard and got houses for four crore people, all from these classes."