Patna: Accused of blocking special status for Bihar by its Chief Minister, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on Sunday underscored every instance of Centre’s help for the state’s
people. He also heaped praise on the Chief Minister – who, in a first, shared stage with
him during a political rally. While flagging off the NDA’s election campaign in the state,
the Prime Minister also tore into the Congress over the strikes against terror bases
across the Line of Control. Contending that the Congress stance would only please
Pakistan, he said, “They asked for evidence of the surgical strikes. Now, they ask for
evidence of the strikes by the Air Forces”.
“I want to know from the Congress and other parties why they are bent on destroying armed
forces’ morale. Why is the Congress giving speeches where enemies are benefitting? When we
had to stand united against terror factories, 21 parties united for questioning us,” he
added.
Pakistan, he said, is “applauding those words”.
The Congress is part of the opposition alliance in the state, and the party, along with
ally Tejashwi Yadav, has accused the BJP of politicising the sacrifices of the soldiers.
The aim of the opposition, the Prime Minister said, is to “destroy Modi, while Modi is
seeking to destroy terror,” the Prime Minister said.
Their attitude towards national security… that’s not relevant anymore. It is a new
India. We don’t remain quiet about sacrifices.
“We pay back at every instance. We are seeing what happens when we give fitting response,”
the Prime Minister said. Last week, the air force had targeted the Jaish-e Mohammad terror
camp at Balakot,
He also explored in detail the Centre’s initiatives in the state and praised the state for
implementing them properly. From infrastructure to health and transport, electricity in
the villages and the proposed metro pail in Patna, he presented an extensive list to the
thousands of people gathered in Patna’s Gandhi Maidan.
“I am happy that Nitish Babu worries about the poor and took Bihar out of its old ways and
gave it a new direction,” PM Modi said.
Nitish Kumar is not known for his bonhomie with PM Modi. While the two had shared stage
earlier for government functions, this is the first time they did so politically. Kumar
had quit the party in 2013 at the prospect of his being pitched as the NDA’s Prime
Ministerial candidate.
During the rule of the Grand Alliance – a coalition of Nitish Kumar, the Congress and
Lalu Yadav – he and the Prime Minister had been engaged in sharp political attacks against
each other.
PM Modi’s barbs on the state’s law and order and Mr Kumar’s political DNA had provided the
alliance campaign some much-needed boost ahead of the elections.
Kumar had portrayed it as a matter of injury to Bihar’s pride. Thereafter, he became one
of the sharpest critics of the Prime Minister in the opposition camp.
