PM's 'do shehzade' jab at Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav at UP rally

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hit out at the alliance of Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress in Uttar Pradesh and alleged that 'do shehzade' (two princes) have come together for the politics of appeasement.

Without taking any names but in an apparent attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and SP president Akhilesh Yadav, Modi said, "Can you expect development from the flop pair of 'Do ladkon ki jodi' (a pair of boys)?"

PM Modi addressed a rally here in support of the BJP candidates from Shahjahanpur and nearby Lok Sabha constituencies.

"Politics of appeasement is the biggest reason for the 'do shehzade' to come together," he said.

Accusing the Congress of indulging in vote bank politics, PM Modi said the party plans to implement the Karnataka model of reservation across the country where quota was given to the Muslim community after reducing the share of the OBC communities.

"I am also an OBC and I was scared by this Karnataka model. If I am scared, what would have happened to you," said PM Modi.

He went on to say he understood the pain of the poor and gave reservation for the economically weaker sections of the general category.

PM Modi alleged that the leaders of the Congress shed tears on the death of terrorists. He appealed to the voters "to send a strong message with your vote to those with an anti-national mindset".

"The biggest leader of the Congress party shed tears on the death of terrorists. Can such people be given power in the country?" he said.

He went on to allege that the SP searched every kind of legal way to bring the jailed terrorists out.

Expressing confidence that he will form the government again for the third time, the prime minister said, "Modi will hold the corrupt accountable after forming government with your blessings after June 4."

Mounting an attack on the SP, PM Modi said, "Shahjahanpur and this entire region was a victim of 'Samajwadi sab kuch thap pariyojna' (everything stalled project). The road infrastructure here was stalled, electricity arrangement was stalled, health services were stalled and law and order was stalled. This project was stopped by Yogi Adityanath and his team."

He recounted the development projects being undertaken in the region under the BJP government.

The prime minister said he sought votes after giving an account of the development in the country and accused the SP and the Congress of not doing the same.

Attacking the law and order situation in the previous governments, PM Modi asked, "Before Modi came to power, a warning to stay away from unknown objects was displayed at the railway stations and on radio and TV because there was a fear that the object might be a bomb. Have you ever heard such a message after Modi came to power in 2014? Is there any fear of a bomb explosion now?"

Modi said the trustees of the Ram temple invited the Congress leaders at the consecration ceremony but they refused it. "They refused the invitation of the consecration ceremony and called the Ram 'bhakts' (devotees) 'pakhandi' (hypocrites). Do such people even have the right of even a single vote? Should they not be weeded out?" he asked.

Talking about the Congress, Modi said the party makes noises about the Constitution and democracy when they want to do a major misdeed, but they implemented Emergency in the 70s.

"The Congress has released its flop film again. It has two dialogues. The first is that dictatorship will come if Modi comes to power. Do you agree with this?" he said.

"The second is that reservation will be removed if Modi comes to power. But once the people put the trailer of their film in their manifesto, the country got the inkling of their hidden agenda," he added.

Modi alleged that the Congress has said they will conduct an 'X-Ray examination' of the people's properties and land, and distribute them among their "favourite vote bank".

"They say openly who has the first right on the resources of the nation and will give it to them," he said.

The BJP has fielded Arun Kumar Sagar as its candidate from Shahjahanpur and Rekha Verma from Dhaurahra Lok Sabha constituencies. Both Sagar and Verma along with other BJP leaders shared the stage with Modi.

Voting in Shahjahanpur and Dhaurahra will be held on May 13 in the fourth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.