Prime Minister ends LS campaign with same pitch he started in Meerut

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday ended his election blitzkrieg at Khargone in Madhya Pradesh on the same note he started it 50-days ago in Meerut attacking Congress on the emotive issues of nationalism, armed forces and strikes across border and projecting his "decisive government". In his first rally after the announcement of election dates in Meerut on March 28, Modi had said, "It was this chowkidar's government that had the courage to conduct surgical strikes on land, sky and space. India should develop, India should be secure from enemies."

Maintaining the tempo, Modi again highlighted his "decisive policy" to eliminate terrorism and Naxalism in Khargone. "We have got the strong support of people for our policies to eliminate terrorism and Naxalism. This is the feeling of the country that the terrorists should be killed in their safe heavens (ghar me ghus kar mara jaye)," he said in Khargone on Friday.

In a veiled reference to the Balakot strike, the Prime Minister asked the people in his signature style if they agree or not that killing terrorists in their homes is right, evoking a positive rapturous response from the crowd. "Are you happy or not? When Modi kills (terrorists) in their homes, you feel proud or not. Your chests fill with pride or not. Your head is held high or not. Every Indian feel proud or not. This feeling has been answered by our brave sons. This should be the policy of new India," he said.

The Prime Minister continued his attack on principal opposition Congress on the issues of security like he did in Meerut at the time of the start of the campaign for the seven-phase general election, where he is seeking a mandate to govern again. Playing on the words 'saboot' and 'sapoot', the Hindi words for proof and good son, he had attacked the opposition in Meerut for seeking evidence of the surgical strike. "Do we need 'saboot' or sapoot... those who seek evidence are challenging the sapoot."

The theme remained unaltered in Khargone as well where he put Congress in a spot by taking up an alleged statement of Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy that those who don't get a square meal join the army and become soldiers. He urged the crowd to never vote of Congress which has made Kumaraswamy as chief minister saying the statement was an insult to tribal community youths who serve in the army, not for bread but to brave the bullet.

"Congress has gone to people with promises of taking back special powers of soldiers and repealing treason law that has been rejected by the country. The country is unanimous that people who support separate prime minister for Jammu and Kashmir should be served severe punishment," he said. Like in Meerut the Prime Minister continued to urge people to vote for "him" by pressing the Lotus button on the EVM.

"Your five second in pressing Lotus button on EVM, you will have me in service for next five years," Modi said in Khargone. However, Prime Minister did not assert "Chowkidar" in his speech in Khargone while it was a key highlight in Meerut where he had said,"I will give all answers and I will also seek answers. As you know I am your 'Chowkidar', I will want answers for what they did in 70 years."

"On one side there is 'dumdar chowkidar' whereas the opposition is full of daagdaars," he had said in Meerut. Modi also sought to highlight the freedom struggle link of the places where he held his first and last rally of this Lok Sabha poll campaign.

"My election campaign started from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. Now the last rally is happening in Khargone, Madhya Pradesh. From a historical perspective, there is a connection between Meerut and Khargone, which is often not noticed. Both the cities are associated with the 1857 War of Independence," he said. Both the cities have inspired nationalism, Modi added.

"In Meerut, Indian soldiers rebelled against the British and in Khargone, freedom fighter Bhima Nayak led a tribal agitation and attained martyrdom," he said. "The election of 2019 is different from all the previous general elections. In this poll, people of India are voting for their country and not for any party. They are voting to build a New India," Modi said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)