RJD, Congress favour infiltrators, dislike Lord Ram due to vote-bank politics: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has claimed that the Opposition in Bihar, the RJD-Congress combine, have a “soft corner for infiltrators” but a “dislike for Lord Ram and Chhathi Maiya” and attributed it to their vote-bank politics.

Addressing a rally in Araria district on Thursday (November 6), Modi also alleged that the reluctance of Opposition leaders to visit Ayodhya to have a “darshan” (glimpse) of shrines dedicated to Nishad Raj, Mata Shabari, and Maharshi Valmiki was indicative of their “hatred” for Dalits and backward classes.

Development card

“Bihar saw zero development during the 15 years of ‘jungle raj’. No highways and bridges were built, nor were any centres of higher learning set up. The NDA under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has worked very hard to bring the state out of that era,” he said.

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“Today, Bihar has so many expressways, bridges over rivers, and as many as four central universities and other centres of higher learning. Only the NDA can ensure that this journey towards growth continues uninterrupted,” he added.

Infiltration bogey

Modi said the NDA faces a big challenge on this journey of growth, which is the menace of infiltration.

“The NDA is committed to driving out each and every infiltrator from the country. But the Congress-RJD duo offers them protection, takes out political yatras in their favour, and comes up with misleading narratives,” Modi alleged in an indirect reference to Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s Voter Adhikar Yatra and allegations of “vote theft”.

“Whenever the RJD-Congress duo achieves power, they try to give back-door entry to infiltrators. They do so because of vote-bank politics. But this takes a toll on the people of this country. The infiltrators claim a share in all that belongs to the citizens,” he added.

Chhathi Maiya invoked again

Modi also said that vote-bank politics has filled Opposition leaders with contempt for traditions. “The naamdaar of Congress (Rahul Gandhi) called the devotion to Chhathi Maiya a drama. They never visit Ayodhya to have a darshan of Lord Ram,” he said.

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“I understand their dislike for Lord Ram. But they can at least pay obeisance at the shrines dedicated to Nishad Raj, Shabari Mata, and Maharshi Valmiki. Their reluctance to do so only indicates their hatred for Dalits and backward classes,” he claimed.

The PM also claimed that infighting was on between the Congress and the RJD, and “after elections, all these INDI Alliance partners will be seen breaking each other’s heads”. “The fight between the RJD and the Congress has reached such a level that now their deputy CM candidate is speaking up against ‘jungle raj’,” he claimed.

(With agency inputs)