In Chhattisgarh, PM attacks Congress on graft, OBC neglect; in MP he woos tribals

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hit out at the Congress over corruption as well as neglect of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and said the countdown for its exit from power in Chhattisgarh had begun, while in adjoining Madhya Pradesh he sought to woo tribals and asked voters to be wary of the promises made by the rival party.

Modi, the BJP's top vote-getter, addressed three election rallies in a day -- two in Chhattisgarh and one in Madhya Pradesh -- in support of his party's candidates as campaigning for the November 17 polls in these states reached its crescendo. The campaigning ends on November 15 evening.

Speaking at rallies in Mungeli and Mahasamund districts in Chhattisgarh, where 70 assembly seats will vote in the second and last phase of polling on Friday, the PM said the Congress' only aim was to loot Chhattisgarh and fill its own coffers.

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel's son, other kin and officials had destroyed the Congress-ruled state by acting as ''super CM'', he claimed.

The Congress had not implemented reservations for OBCs despite being in power from ''panchayat to Parliament'' for several years since Independence, Modi said at the rally in Mungeli.

Taking a dig at the Congress on a purported agreement on sharing the CM's post between Baghel and his cabinet colleague TS Singh Deo, which eventually never took off, Modi said a party that can ditch its own senior leaders would certainly cheat people.

Asserting that Baghel himself was going to lose the assembly polls, he said, ''The Congress has understood that now its time is over in Chhattisgarh. Some journalist friends from Delhi and political analysts have told me the chief minister is himself going to lose (from Patan seat).'' ''The Congress hates Modi. They have started hating even Modi's caste. Some 'mahagyani' (highly learned) Congress leaders from Delhi have been saying during their rallies in Chhattisgarh that Modi is from the OBC. For the last several months, the Congress has been abusing the entire OBC community in the name of Modi... they have even refused to apologise after a court directed them to do so,'' he said.

In the previous (2019 Lok Sabha) elections, these people (Congress leaders) were calling the OBC community ''thief'' by way of attacks on Modi, the PM claimed.

''This is an example of how much hatred they have for the OBC community. It is the Congress which insulted Babasaheb Ambedkar. It is the Congress which conspired to end Babasaheb's politics. It is the BJP which created Babasaheb's 'panchteerth' (pilgrimage centres),'' he said.

The Congress did not give constitutional status to the OBC Commission for decades nor did it implement quota for this segment in medical colleges, but ''Modi gave people a guarantee to fulfil these demands and did it'', the PM asserted.

Attacking Baghel, the PM claimed dedicated senior Congress leaders were angry at the CM and trying to ensure his defeat in the polls.

''The old and dedicated people in the Congress have been sidelined. They are annoyed and feeling cheated by the CM and the party high command. When the Congress government was formed in Chhattisgarh (in 2018), there was a '2.5-year power sharing agreement' for the CM post. Have you ever seen any party which does such an agreement within its own house,'' he said.

''He (Baghel) misused his position in 2.5 years and committed scams to the tune of thousands of crores of rupees and changed the entire game. After completion of 2.5 years, he opened the treasury for Delhi and purchased everyone ,'' Modi claimed.

Further targeting Baghel over the alleged Mahadev betting app scam, the PM said the ''ganitbaaz'' (self-styled mathematicians) of the Congress must tell the people what was the share (of kickbacks) received from the online platform by the CM and the ''Delhi darbar'' (a reference to the Congress high command).

''They (Congress) should tell how much the CM got and how much went to Delhi Darbar. The gantibaaz should also tell how much the Congress leaders earned by selling tickets (in the Assembly elections),'' he said.

At the Mahasamund gathering, Modi said if youth type ''Rs 508 crore'' into their mobile phones (using search engines), the results would be about the Mahadev betting app.

He was apparently referring to ED's claim that a forensic analysis and a statement made by a 'cash courier' have led to allegations that Mahadev betting app promoters have paid Rs 508 crore to Baghel. The Chhattisgarh CM has denied the claim.

After so many years of Independence, if anyone is poor in the country, then the Congress is the culprit, as the party ruled from panchayat to Parliament for five decades, but did nothing about poverty eradication apart from giving the slogan 'garibi hatao'' 50 years ago, the PM said.

The Congress could do nothing to fulfil this promise but went ahead and gave new promises, while the BJP, in the last five years, took 13.5 crore people out of poverty, he said.

Attacking the ruling party over an alleged scam in the Chhattisgarh's Public Service Commission recruitment process, Modi said, ''I would like to tell those youths who bore the brunt of the PSC scam that it is just a trailer. If the Congress is not stopped they will get emboldened. They will make the CGPSC office an 'adda' (den) of the Congress.'' ''The countdown has begun for the exit of the Congress government in Chhattisgarh,'' Modi asserted.

From Chhattisgarh, the PM travelled to Madhya Pradesh where he addressed a rally in tribal-dominated Barwani district.

Speaking at the rally, he reached out to tribals and announced he will go to the native village of their icon Birsa Munda on his birth anniversary and launch a welfare scheme for the community as he blasted the Congress was ignoring adivasis for 60 years.

The PM assured the people of Madhya Pradesh that all promises made by the ruling party will be fulfilled if it retains power and advised them to be wary of the Congress, saying the opposition outfit can even promise to build a ''castle of gold'' to wins elections.

“After two days, Bhawan Birsa Munda's birth anniversary will fall (on November 15). We celebrate it as 'Janjatiya Gaurav Divas' (Tribal Pride Day). Tribesmen have played a big role in freedom struggle,” he said, addressing an election meeting in Barwani district which has a sizeable number of adivasis.

The Congress never cared for tribals, while the BJP stands for their respect and social justice, said Modi.

“I am going to the village of Bhagwan Birsa Munda in Jharkhand on November 15 where I will launch a welfare scheme for tribals. I am going to bow down there,” the PM stated.

Modi reminded the gathering that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, headed by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had set up a separate ministry for tribal development.

Asking voters not be get carried away with the ''false'' promises of the opposition party, the PM said, “Wherever the Congress comes to power, crime rate reaches its peak, riots become commonplace and atrocities against sisters and daughters increase.” The PM said the Congress can even promise to build a ''castle of gold” to the people of Madhya Pradesh to win elections anyhow.

“The Congress had pushed MP into a “dark well”. The BJP has pulled it out The Congress only aims to fill its empty coffers after coming to power,” he stated.