Mumbai: Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was visiting the state frequently since the BJP's defeat in upcoming polls was imminent.
Modi was in Solapur during the day and dedicated 90,000 houses built under the PM Awas Yojana. He also inaugurated the distribution of the first and second installments to 10,000 beneficiaries of PM-SVANIDHI, a micro credit loan facility for street vendors.
He laid the foundation stone of eight Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) projects costing approximately Rs 2,000 crore.
The Prime Minister dedicated 15,000 houses of Raynagar Housing Society in Solapur, whose beneficiaries comprise thousands of handloom workers, vendors, power loom workers, rag pickers, beedi workers and drivers.
"Maharashtra has stood firmly behind those who believe in democracy and the Constitution. The BJP's defeat in Maharashtra is imminent, and that is why PM Modi is coming to the state repeatedly to campaign," Patole claimed.
Modi had visited Nashik and Navi Mumbai on January 12. During the visit, he inaugurated the National Youth Festival as well as projects costing more than Rs 30,500 crore, including the Atal Setu, the country's longest sea bridge.
Patole also claimed the Raynagar Housing Society scheme in Solapur was announced by the UPA government led by Manmohan Singh and alleged the NDA government took 10 years to complete it.
"Giving keys is the only guarantee of Modi. He is less of a prime minister and more of a (poll) campaign chief," Patole said.
Refuting criticism of the Congress after its top leaders rejected the invitation to take part in the idol consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22, Patole said it was then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi who had opened the doors of the (disputed) site and had allowed 'darshan'.
Rajiv Gandhi tried to solve the Ram Temple issue, but the Bharatiya Janata Party opposed his proposal at the time, Patole further claimed.
Reacting to Assam Chief Minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma's threat of arrest against Rahul Gandhi, who is currently leading the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' through the north eastern state, Patole said the BJP was afraid of the response the mass outreach programme was getting from people.
These are dictatorial people and they have threatened to arrest Rahul Gandhi as they are afraid of him, Patole said in a swipe at the ruling BJP.
"The chief minister of Assam must arrest Rahul Gandhi. The BJP must take action against Gandhi and then the people will give them a befitting answer. The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is getting massive response from people," Patole said.
He also said the BJP's slogan of women's empowerment is deceptive as the entire country has seen how the Centre treated women players (wrestlers) who had won medals in the Olympics.
"The Ramayana and Mahabharata have shown that destruction of those who commit the sin of oppressing women is inevitable," he said.
Why doesn't the BJP speak about how tough it is for women to run their households due to rising inflation, Patole questioned.
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