Airstrikes, release of pilot, farm income dominate speeches at NDA’s Patna rally
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar shared the stage along with othe NDA partners at a political rally in Patna on Sunday.
All National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders, who shared the dais with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a rally in Patna on Sunday, credited him for the airstrikes on terror bases in Pakistan, the prompt release of wing commander Abhinandan Varthaman and schemes for the poor, middle class and farmers.
Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan said Modi had done in five years what was not possible in 70 years. “He has taken care of all sections. While it (NDA) created the National Commission for Backward Classes and accorded it the constitutional status, it also gave 10% quota to the poor among the upper castes,” he added.
He said some people were trying to do politics over it, but it would not help. “We had tears in our eyes when we saw the PM washing the feet of sanitation workers at the Kumb Mela. These were the people treated as untouchables earlier,” he added.
Referring to Pulwama attack, Paswan said it was no ordinary incident and the way India hit back has baffled Pakistan. “The entire nation is with the PM. Modi’s chest is not just 56 inches now, it has increased to 156 inches. Our forces are destroying terror, but some leaders are busy playing politics. Let’s not forget that national interest is supreme,” he said, adding the Modi-led NDA should win the battle of ballots to get over 400 seats in the Lok Sabha elections due in summer.
Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who questioned PM’’s foreign visits, must know what it meant for India. “He visited foreign countries to enhance India’s respect,” he added.
Deputy CM Sushil Modi referred to the PM as the one who took revenge for the Pulwama attack without caring for the nuclear threat. “It was the success of Indian diplomacy that wing commander Abhinandan was back in less than 60 hours. He gave armed forces a free hand to teach terrorists and their patrons a lesson. He got the peace prize in Seoul, and within four days he was ready to settle score for the dastardly Pulwama attack,” he added.
Sushil Modi said that it was the diplomacy of the Indian government that exposed and isolated Pakistan. “In Bihar, the NDA will more seats than earlier, as the Nitish Kumar government has taken people completely out of the lantern stage and they aspire for a stronger India and a prosperous Bihar,” he added.
Union minister Radha Mohan Singh said India was marching ahead on all fronts under PM Modi and had proved that the new India knew how to answer terror.
Others who spoke included former union minister and Rajya Sabha MP CP Thakur, Bihar ministers Prem Kumar and Nand Kishor Yadav. Bihar health minister Mangal Pandey and state BJP president Nityanand Rai conducted the programme.