Opposition driven by ‘vote bank’ politics not country’s interest —Modi

Amethi/Prayagraj (UP), Feb. 24 (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday attacked opposition parties, saying guided by “vote bank and dynastic politics”, they have always sacrificed the interest of the country and the poor.

Modi also questioned the “silence” of rivals over the court’s recent verdict on Ahmedabad blasts, saying, “Being hostage to vote bank politics, they would even not hesitate to insult the army or the police”.

Modi was addressing a rally for nine constituencies of Amethi and neighbouring Sultanpur.

The prime minister’s remarks came days after a special court in Ahmedabad sentenced to death 38 members of the terror outfit Indian Mujahideen in the 2008 serial blasts case. The court also sentenced 11 other convicts to life imprisonment.

Modi started the day with the election rally in Amethi and later went to Prayagraj for his second public meeting.

At the Prayagraj rally, PM Modi said two crore people visited Mecca and around one crore visited Vatican City in Rome in 2019.

These countries had given facilities for the visiting devotees, he said.

“But, if we do the same in India, these people see this through the lens of communalism,” he said attacking the rivals.

Modi appealed to the youths to remain beware of dynasts who are “hostage” to vote bank politics.

He also sought to puncture the euphoria of opponents over voting in the first four phases of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, saying “people have showered blessings on the BJP in abundance, proving that the rivals’ math on division of votes has gone wrong”.

Assembly constituencies of Sultanpur were included in the first rally while BJP candidates of Pratapgarh were also present in the second meeting.

The prime minister fondly remembered February 24, saying on this day, he had launched PM Kisan Yojna three years back and also became an MLA for the first time 20 years ago from Rajkot in Gujarat.

In an apparent dig at Rahul Gandhi, he said the person whom the people had blessed here (Amethi) for long but “chased away” in 2019 to Kerala, did not miss an opportunity to question the wisdom of people here.