‘Quit INDIA’: Modi hits out at Oppn in Raj rally

Modi’s comments in Congress-ruled Rajasthan — one of three major states that go to the polls towards the end of the year — come just weeks after Opposition parties came together as INDIA

Jaipur Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday lashed out at the newly created Opposition grouping, the India National Development Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), and said Mahatma Gandhi’s “Quit India” movement against the British was once again needed to create a prosperous country and eradicate corruption, dynastic politics, and appeasement.

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Speaking at a function to launch central government projects in Rajasthan’s Sikar town, Modi played on the name of the 26-party alliance and likened it to the East India Company, Students Islamic Movement of India, and Popular Front of India, saying that all of them contained “India” in their names but their motive was to harm the country.

“With the label of INDIA, they want to cover up their old deeds. Had they really cared about India, would they have asked foreigners to interfere in India?” he said, possibly setting the tone for the next general elections and the assembly polls in Rajasthan later this year.

“The way Mahatma Gandhi had said Quit India, today’s slogan is Bhrashtachar (corruption) Quit India, Parivarwad (dynasty politics) Quit India, Tushtikaran (appeasement) Quit India. Quit India will save the country and help our nation develop,” Modi added.

The PM called the Congress — the largest constituent of INDIA — the country’s largest directionless party that had adopted a new ploy of changing their name. “In olden days, if a company’s fraud was exposed, it would try to fool people by changing it name… Congress and its allies are copying such fraud companies. To stop people from remembering the misdeeds of the UPA, they have changed their name from UPA (United Progressive Alliance) to INDIA,” he said.

He also accused the Congress of asking foreign countries to meddle in India’s internal affairs. “Would they question Indian army’s valour in Galwan too?” he asked, referring to a clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers at the Line of Actual Control in June 2020 that left 20 Indian soldiers and an unspecified number of Chinese personnel dead. The PM accused the Congress and its allies of having no faith in the country’s defence forces and said that previous governments denied soldiers one-rank, one-pension for decades.

Modi’s comments in Congress-ruled Rajasthan — one of three major states that go to the polls towards the end of the year — come just weeks after Opposition parties came together as INDIA to take on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in 2024.

During the 25-minute speech, Modi hit out at Opposition leaders, saying that they stood with divisive forces and vote bank politics rather than nationalism.

“These people are full of arrogance. They once said, Indira is India, India is Indira. The people taught them a lesson and threw them out. But they didn’t learn a lesson. They now say UPA is India, India is UPA. The people will once again teach them a lesson,” said Modi. He was referring to a slogan coined by then Congress chief DK Barooah in 1974.

At the event, Modi dedicated 120,000 PM Kisan Samruddhi Kendras to the nation. Kendras are one stop solution centres for all farmer related issues. He also transferred the 14th instalment of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, a sum of ₹17,000 crore, to around 80 million farmers across the country, inaugurated six Eklavya model schools and five medical colleges, and laid the foundation stone for seven new medical colleges in Rajasthan.

“The power of the farmers and the hard work of the farmers extract gold from the soil. That’s why our government is standing shoulder to shoulder with the farmers of the country,” he said.

“Today, after so many decades since independence, such a government has come to power, which understands the pain and sorrow of the farmers, understands their concerns, that’s why decisions have been taken continuously in the interest of the farmers in the last nine years,” he added.

Modi also took aim at the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan, saying the Congress was running a ”loot ki dukan” and jhooth ka bazaar (marketplace of lies). “And the latest product of this loot ki dukaan is Rajasthan’s red diary… the red diary holds the black deeds of the Congress… people are saying that if the pages of the red diary open, then powerful people will be dock… even the biggest Congress leaders are becoming speechless on hearing about the red diary… these people can seal their lips but this red diary is going to wipe out the Congress in the elections,” Modi said.

He was referring to a controversy around the sacking of former Rajasthan minister Rajendra Gudha, who was removed last week for his comments comparing the brutal sexual assault of two women in Manipur to crimes against women in Rajasthan. On Monday, Gudha was suspended from the House after he claimed to be in the possession of a red diary that held details of allegedly irregular transactions in the Ashok Gehlot-led government.

Gehlot hit back at Modi over the red dairy controversy, saying there was no such document. ”The BJP is making baseless allegations in panic. There is no red diary. Rajendra Gudha has been made a scapegoat by the BJP,” he said, while responding to the PM’s charge later in the day. The CM was speaking at a public function to provide subsidies to 3.6 million beneficiaries to buy a cooking gas cylinder for ₹500.

During his speech, Modi repeatedly said the BJP was coming back to power in Rajasthan. ”There is only one slogan in all corners of Rajasthan, Jeetega Kamal, Khilega Kamal (The Lotus will bloom),” Modi said, attacking the state government over crimes against women, rape cases, examination paper leaks, and farm debt.

”Instead of taking action against culprits, the Congress leaders are accusing the victims of telling lies,” he added.

Sikar — along with Churu and Jhunjhunu — forms the Shekhawati belt, which is dominated by the Jat community. The BJP has traditionally not been strong in this belt. In the 2018 assembly elections, the BJP won just three of the 21 seats in Shekhawati.

Modi’s scathing attack in Sikar came just three weeks after a speech in Bikaner. In the last nine months, the PM visited Rajasthan seven times, addressing meetings in different regions of the state in a bid to reach out to all communities.

Reacting to the speech, Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien asked why the prime minister was being “so negative”.

“Hello PM @NarendraModi, you’re at it again! Attacking our new name. INDIA, Jeetega Bharat. What’s happened? Why are you so negative? We’ve got you just where we wanted you to be. React. Be negative. And we will carry on spreading the word. INDIA. Jeetega Bharat,” he said in a video message.