Won't let Maharashtra become ATM of Congress: PM Modi at Akola rally

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (November 9) accused the Congress and its allies of corruption in Maharashtra, saying these parties tends to illegally make money if in power.

“We won’t let Maharashtra become the ATM (Automated Teller Machine) of the Congress,” Modi told a campaign rally in Akola for the November 20 Assembly elections. When the Congress indulges in so much corruption to win elections, one can imagine how corrupt it will be once in power, he pointed out.

Targets Congress regimes

“Wherever the Congress forms a government, that state becomes the ATM of the party's shahi parivar,” he said, in an apparent reference to the Gandhi family.

Also read: PM Modi's challenge to Rahul Gandhi: 'Praise Savarkar, Bal Thackeray for 15 minutes'

He accused the Congress government in Karnataka of “extorting” Rs 700 crore from the liquor business to fight the Maharashtra elections. Telangana and Himachal Pradesh have also become “Congress ATMs”, he said.

While praising the poll promises of the BJP, he called the election manifesto of the Congress and its allies as a “ghotala patra”.

“The entire country knows the MVA means corruption, token money and transfer posting business,” he said, referring to the alliance of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP).

‘Congress hates Ambedkar’

The prime minister also accused the Congress of hating Babasaheb Ambedkar. “They hate Babasaheb because he was a Dalit and because he got credit for drafting the Constitution. Babasaheb is an inspiration for me, the BJP and my government,” he said.

“Our government has developed places attached to his legacy. I have even named our UPI as BHIM UPI,” he said.

The prime minister also alleged that the Congress attempted to pit castes and communities against each other and not allow Dalits and backward groups to unite. “The Congress wants the OBCs, Adivasis and Dalits to fight as a split in their votes will get it back to power,” he said.

“This is the ‘chaal’ and ‘charitra’ (guile and character) of the Congress. In the riots in Haryana, Dalits were killed and the Congress stood by the perpetrators.”

Modi said that in his last two terms his government was able to provide houses to four crore poor people, while another three crore houses will be built hereon.

Also read: Modi and team prioritise protecting and aligning with the corrupt for power: Sharad Pawar

Protecting farmers’ interests

While the NDA government was working to make cotton farmers of Maharashtra prosperous, the MVA government stalled irrigation projects started by the previous Devendra Fadnavis government, he said.

Modi said the Congress and its allies ignored the demand to bestow classical language status on Marathi.

The prime minister slammed the Congress for supporting the resolution in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly for restoration of Article 370, which gave the erstwhile state special status.

“These people are speaking the language of anti-India forces and want to push Kashmir back into violence and militancy... Kashmiri Hindus fled due to Article 370,” he said.