Modi asks people to overthrow govt of plunderers

Taking a swipe at the Gandhi family, Narendra Modi today said the mother and son have never gone through the pangs of penury and asked the people of Uttarakhand to overthrow the "government of plunderers" who have looted the people and stashed their money abroad.

He charged that the government of the "mother and son" (Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi) has destroyed the country and the "saddest part" is that they are "not affected or worried by this. They think people will forget everything."

Modi also attacked Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and said, the "Home Minister" of the "mother and son" says that people forget everything (corruption and inflation) like the "way they forgot the Bofors (scam)".

"If you want back the country's looted money stashed abroad, you will have to first remove the government of plunderers in New Delhi," he told an impressive election meeting held here in support of party candidate from Pauri Lok Sabha seat and former chief minister Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri.

He said the mother-son government at the Centre cannot feel the pain of the poor because they were born rich with a golden spoon in their mouth and never went through the pangs of penury.

Again describing himself as a "humble chaiwala" who has seen it all moving from one railway compartment to another to offer people tea, Modi said this time the poll battle is between the mother-son duo on the one side and a chaiwala on the other.

"Namdars on the one hand and a kamdar on the other," he said, targeting Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.

The Gujarat Chief Minister said the country had given 60 years to administrators  but now it was time it gave 60 months to a servant and a chowkidar (watchman).

"You gave 60 years to administrators.Give just 60 months to a servant and a chowkidar. I can assure you I am a chowkidar who would never let anyone lay a hand on the country's coffers," he said.

Seeking to strike an emotional chord with the people of the state, Modi said he shared a special bonding with the people of Uttarakhand as he was a in-charge of the party's affairs in the state many years ago.

However, he regretted not being allowed to do anything for the people of the state when calamity struck in June last year.

 "I got restless when I heard of the tragedy and wanted desperately to do something for the victims.I came running but due to perverted politics I was not allowed to do anything.I shall always regret it," he said.

Terming the Uttarakhand government as the "worst example of failure in the face of crisis", he said the "mother-son" government of New Delhi will also have to share the responsibility for this "failure".

He said the Congress at the Centre had promised to give jobs to 10 crore youths in ten year's time but gave jobs to just one crore of them whereas the Vajpayee government gave jobs to 6.5 crore youths in a tenure lasting just six years.

Asking people to turn up in large numbers at the polling booths to cast their vote, Modi said if they wanted a stable government in New Delhi under his leadership they will have to ensure the victory of all the five BJP nominees from Uttarakhand.

"It is the Himalayas.Weather changes quickly here.But you have to venture out to cast your ballot regardless of whether it is raining or getting cold," he said.

Addressing another poll rally at Rudrapur in Udham Singh Nagar district, Modi addressed Congress Vice President as "Rahul Bhaiyya" during a more than usual caustic attack on him and accused the Congress of indulging in mudslinging against him over the past 10 years.

Replying to Rahul's charge of indulging in politics of anger, Modi recounted past incidents and accused Congress leadership of ill-treating its own partymen including some senior ones out of anger.

Charging Rahul with insulting Manmohan Singh by tearing the ordinance before journalists, he said the incident shows who is indulging in politics of anger.

Modi accused Congressmen of throwing former AICC chief Sitaram Kesri out of his chamber on to the pavement when Sonia Gandhi was to take over from him as Congress President.

He also accused Rajiv Gandhi of insulting a former Andhra Pradesh chief minister of his party in front of scores of people at Hyderabad airport moving the latter to tears.

The BJP PM candidate also accused Sonia Gandhi of not allowing the cremation of former prime minister Narasimha Rao credited with launching the process of economic liberalisation in the country in New Delhi. He said people's answer to all this will come on May 16.

Modi also addressed a large gathering in Almora where he said employment generation for the youth is one of the top priorities of NDA and promised to implement 'one rank, one pension' scheme in the Army when he comes to power.

Referring to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri's slogan 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan', Modi alleged that the UPA government had changed it to 'Mar Jawan, Mar Kisan'. "Give me a majority to form strong government and I will give you a strong India," he said.

Accusing the Congress led UPA of letting down the youth by promising to give jobs to 10 crore of them in 10 years but ending up giving employment to just one crore, he said it was time to teach the mother-son government a lesson. 

"Creating job opportunities, employment to youth are our priorities," he said.

Modi also spoke of Uttarakhand's tremendous potential in the tourism sector due to its natural endowments and the location of the char dhams in Garhwal Himalayas. 

"Tourism is the fastest growing sector in the world, growing at the rate of 40 per cent. Gifted with the char dhams which are major centres of Hindu faith, Uttarakhand can grow by leaps and bounds if the government has a vision," he said.

Later addressing a public meeting at Roorkee in support of BJP nominee from Haridwar Lok Sabha seat Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank, he charged the mother-son dispensation at the Centre with making his life "miserable" over the past 13 years. 

"The duo has made my life miserable. They have set CBI sleuths and other investigative agencies after me. I kept silent because my culture and civilisation is different but Rahul Bhaiya levelled dirty allegations against me. People have to reply to all that," the BJP candidate, who addressed four back-to-back poll meetings in the state, said.

Accusing Congress leadership of ill treating its own erstwhile leaders, he said the way Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was denied a small piece of land by the British for his burial in Delhi, Sonia Gandhi did not permit Narasimha Rao's body to be kept in state at the Congress headquarters in the national capital.

"Now you decide who does the politics of anger, who does the politics of insult," he said.