Let's see how much you will oppose Ram Navami celebrations: PM Modi to Congress

Ajmer (Rajasthan): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday alleged that the Congress opposed the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya due to its "anger" towards Lord Ram.

Addressing an election rally here, Modi said, "Opposing the visit to the consecration of Ram temple? Is it appropriate? Not only this, if someone visited, he was expelled from the Congress party for six years. Can this happen in this country, can you imagine the country without Lord Ram?"

"So much anger for Lord Ram, I am unable to fathom... Lord Ram has got a permanent abode. Ram Navami is coming and people are going to celebrate. Let's see how much you will oppose it," Modi said referring to the festival marking the birth of Lord Ram that will fall on April 17 this year.

Top Congress leaders had declined the invite to the January 22 ceremony in Ayodhya, with the opposition party saying it was an RSS-BJP event and that the saffron outfits have made a political project of the Ram temple.

Stepping up his attack on the Congress on the issue of corruption, Modi on Saturday said the opposition party is in panic as he has shut their "shop of loot" and it was holding rallies not to win the elections but to save the corrupt.

He called the Congress a party of "dynasts and corrupt" that is bereft of both principles and policies.

"Wherever there is Congress, there cannot be any development. The Congress never thought about the poor, marginalised and youths," he said.

Modi said, "These big names (Naamdar) of the country, the big names of Congress and the royal family abuse this worker (Kaamdar). Perhaps they consider it their right to abuse. This worker can digest every abuse.

"They are angry with Modi because today Modi is standing like a rock with the rural poor. These people considered looting public money as their ancestral right. Modi has given a permanent cure to this disease of loot. Modi has pulled down the shutter of their shop of loot. That's why they are in panic."

He added, "The arrogant alliance of Congress is upset with Modi, that is why it gets angry and abuses. But, Congress people should understand that the more mud you throw, the more the lotus (BJP's election symbol) will bloom."

He slammed the Congress manifesto, calling it a bundle of lies where every page reeked of "breaking India into pieces".

The prime minister alleged that the Congress wants to impose the ideas of the Muslim League on India. "The same thinking is reflected in the Congress manifesto as was in the Muslim League at the time of independence," he alleged.

"The Leftists have taken over whatever was left of this manifesto bearing the stamp of the Muslim League. Today, the Congress is left with neither principles nor policies. It seems as if Congress has given everything on contract and has outsourced the entire party," he said.

The prime minister said the 2024 election is an opportunity for the citizens to decide the country's future for the next 100 years.

Modi said that for decades, the country had coalition governments. "Due to compulsions of alliance and everyone's personal interests, the country's interest was passed over," he claimed.

On the 10-year tenure of the BJP government at the Centre, he said, "Whatever has been done is just a trailer. We have to take the country much further. That's why I say your dream is Modi's resolve."

"We have to make India developed by 2047. We have to make India the third-largest economic power in the world. We have to make India self-reliant in every way," PM Modi said.

Lok Sabha elections in Rajasthan will be held in two phases on 19th and 26th April. In the first phase, voting will be held on April 19 in 12 seats Ganganagar, Bikaner, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Jaipur Rural, Jaipur, Alwar, Bharatpur, Karauli-Dholpur, Dausa and Nagaur.

In the second phase, voting will be held on 13 seats Tonk, Ajmer, Pali, Jodhpur, Barmer, Jalore, Udaipur, Banswara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Bhilwara, Kota and Jhalawar on April 26.