Akhilesh hits back at Modi's 'sarab' jibe on alliance

Prime minister Narendra Modi on Thursday kicked off his party's election campaign by addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut town, about 450 kilometres from here, where he likened the SP-BSP-RLD alliance to liquor and asked the people to keep away from it.

Modi also termed the rivals as ''dagdar" (tainted).

Modi, taking the first two Hindi words from the Samajwadi Party (SP), BSP and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) - 'sa' (SP), 'ra' ( RLD) and 'b' (BSP)- said that the alliance was like 'sarab' (liquor) and the people must keep it arm's distance.

''Liquor is harmful for the health....it will ruin you...so you (people) should avoid sarab,'' the prime minister said.

Modi also referred to the 1995 'Guest House' episode, when SP workers had attacked BSP supremo Mayawati following withdrawal of support by her to the SP-BSP coalition government in UP, and said that she had joined hands with those, wanted to eliminate her.

He said that since he was a 'chowkidar', he would not only furnish accounts of his works but also seek accounts of the works of others.

The prime minister referred to the Balakot air strikes and the ASAT test and said that the opposition parties seemed to be upset at the achievements of the country.

''They (opposition) are crying over air strikes on Pakistan...they seek proof...if these mahamilavati (adulterated) people get a chance to rule then the country will return to the old ways, when there were explosions and blasts,'' he said.

He said that the opposition party leaders had been hogging the limelight in Pakistani newspapers as they questioned the surgical strikes.

The prime minister also listed the achievements of his party's governments at the centre and in the state and said that they had undertaken measures for the welfare of the people.

Furious over Modi's 'sarab' jibe, SP president Akhilesh Yadav said that the former did not know the difference between 'sharab' and 'sarab'. ''The tele-prompter exposed Modi...those, who encourage hatred, do not know the difference between sarab and sharab....sarab means mirage and the BJP has shown mirage to the people during its five-year rule,'' Akhilesh said.