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I am UP’s adopted son, will do better than real ones, says PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi countered the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance plan to declare him a ‘bahari’ (outsider) in Uttar Pradesh by describing himself as “UP’s goad liya beta” (adopted son) and calling the people of the state as his ‘mai-baap’ (parents).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday countered the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance plan to declare him a ‘bahari’ (outsider) in Uttar Pradesh by describing himself as “UP’s goad liya beta” (adopted son) and calling the people of the state as his ‘mai-baap’ (parents).
Attempting to turn the ‘UP ke ladke vs bahari’ pitch by the SP-Congress alliance, Modi in his public rallies said that despite being an ‘adopted son’, he would do what the real ones couldn’t, as the people of UP elected him as their MP that helped him become the Prime Minister.
“Mainey aapke khaatir bade bade ko naraaz kiya hai. Yeh sab merey khilaaf hain, par mujhe koi bhay nahi, kyunki main aapkey liye lad raha hoon (the unscrupulous have ganged up against me but I fear none as I am doing all this for you),” he said, while listing his achievements from reducing prices of essential medicines to stents, his drive against money hoarders and those who sold fertilizer meant for farmers to companies for a price.
Modi also sought to invoke divinity behind his UP shift, drawing a parallel with Lord Krishna.
“Yah kaisa adbhut sanyog hai ki bhagwan Krishna UP main paida huey aur Gujarat ko apni karmbhoomi banaya, aur mujhe Gujarat ka hokar, UP ne apnaya (Krishna was born in UP and made Gujarat his karmbhoomi, I am a Gujarati who has been adopted by UP,” he said in Hardoi.
In Barabanki, Modi confined himself to the ‘adopted son vs real’ posturing without giving a religious touch to it.
Encouraged by poll results in Bihar, where the grand alliance succeeded in projecting the election as ‘Bihari vs Bahari’, strategists of the SP-Congress alliance coined the phrase ‘UP ke ladke’ -- chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi -- as opposed to the ‘bahari’ Modi.
“When we assumed power at the Centre in 2014, there were more than 1,500 villages in UP without power. During her tenure, Mayawatiji had time to devote in just about 23 villages while ‘bhatija’ Akhilesh, who kept busy telling people ‘kaam bolta hai’, had time for barely three.
“My government has provided power in more than 1,350 villages,” he said in Barabanki.
“First, the Congress went to the polls saying ‘27 saal UP behaal’ (UP in a shambles for 27 years). What happened now? And I also want to know from SP if by tying up with the Congress they haven’t compromised on the ideals of Ram Manohar Lohiaji who fought the Congress all his life,” Modi asked.
To counter Rahul’s ‘Modiji-spreads-hatred’ take, the PM said, “Mujhe har koney main nafrat ka mahaul nazar aa raha hai. Akhileshji 11 March ke baad sochieyega woh janata jo paanch saal pehley aapko itni umeed se layi thi usney aapka yeh haal kyon kiya? (I see hatred everywhere. After March 11, Akhilesh please take time out to think why UP rejected you.”
Modi said loan waiver of small and marginal farmers would be the first decision if the BJP came to power in the state.
“Bless me and punish those who have reduced the state to its present condition,” he added.
