Hold polls to make India economically strong, not to fulfil a family's wish to make prince PM: Shah

Polls should be held to make India and its economy strong, to give Pakistan a befitting reply says BJP chief Amit Shah. "And not to fulfil a family's wish to make its "prince", the prime minister," Shah once again made a veiled attack on the Congress and its president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday. Addressing the BJP's 'Vijay Sankalp' bike rally, the BJP leader slammed the opposition for raising doubts over the February 26 air strike on a terrorist camp in Balakot, Pakistan.

"Elections should be held in the country to make the country and its economy stronger. To take the country's pride to the sky...to strengthen the security...to give a befitting reply to Pakistan...in the interests of 50 crore poor...and not just to fulfil the desires of ageing leaders who wish to become the prime minister or a family that wishes to make its prince the PM," Shah said. As the crowd cheered on, he praised Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who returned from Pakistan on Friday, saying he returned to India after shooting downthe Pakistani F-16 fighter plane.

Shah said a maximum number of terrorists were eliminated in the country during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tenure "Goli ka jawab goli se diya (We gave a bullet for a bullet), and answered the Uri terror attack by launching a surgical strike. We have let the people know that the country is being ruled by the Narendra Modi government," he said.

The BJP workers at the rally chanted "Modi, Modi" when their chief asked them who will make the country, its economy capable of giving a befitting reply to Pakistan. The BJP leader criticised Gandhi including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav doubting India's air strikes in Pakistan's terror camps.

"Desh ke jawano ke khoon ka badla lene ki himmat nahi thi...Yah Narendra Modiji hai jo yah kar rahe hai aur aap sawal utha rahe hai ki air strike hui ki nahi...Rahul Gandhi, Mamata aur Akhilesh sawal utha rahe hai aur ochhi rajneeti kar rahe hai. (You didn't have the courage to avenge our soldiers' blood. Modiji is doing that and you are questioning it! By doing so, Rahul, Mamata and Akhilesh are doing cheap politics)," he said. Furthermore, he criticised the Congress for 'delaying' the implementation of the 'One Rank-One Pension' scheme for defence personnel, and also the construction of the National War Memorial.

Modi recently inaugurated the National War Memorial, adjoining the iconic India Gate complex in New Delhi, nearly 60 years after it was mooted to honour the fallen soldiers after Independence. Shah said the BJP with one crore of its workers taking out bike rallies from 3,800 locations across the country to reach out to voters, will create a record of sorts.

He led the bike rally in the town by riding pillion on Abhilash Pandey, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha state unit president's bike.