‘Aaj ka Bharat ghar mein ghus ke maarta hai’: PM Modi launches Bihar campaign

Jamui votes in the first phase on April 19, along with Nawada, Gaya and Aurangabad in Bihar.

Attacking the Congress for its “weak” foreign policy, Modi said: “Aaj ka Bharat ghar mein ghus ke maarta hai (Today’s India goes inside enemy territory to strike).” He contrasted this with the “weak government” run by the Congress. “Even a small country (Pakistan) which reported a shortage of flour would be bold enough to launch a terrorist attack on us, and the Congress government would just take up the complaint with another country… Today’s India shows the direction to the world).”

The PM also recalled how the country had launched the Chandraayan mission.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at a public meeting in Jamui, Thursday. (PTI)

While praising NDA allies, Modi repeated that the INDIA bloc was a “Ghamandia gathbandhan (arrogant alliance)”, and that all the “corrupt” had come together out of fear of him returning as PM. “Some of these parties fought one another earlier and wanted the other to be sent to jail. Now they have come together saying, ‘Modi aaya, Modi aaya (Modi will return to power)’. But I will continue to attack corruption, drawing on my 140 crore power (the people of the country),” he said.

His remarks come amid a renewed campaign by the Opposition alleging a witch-hunt by Central agencies following Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest.

However, this time Modi refrained from attacking RJD chief Lalu Prasad over promoting dynasty – his last attack had led to Lalu taking a jibe at the PM over his “lack of a family” and the BJP countering it with a “Modi ka Parivar” campaign.

Instead, the PM focused on “jungle raj (misrule)” under the RJD. “Jamui was identified with Naxalism… The RJD government took land plots from people to give them railway jobs. Nitish Kumar too was Union railway minister, but he never faced any corruption charges,” Modi said.

Mentioning the speakers before him who had praised his government’s performance, Modi said he could do the same, but he felt his work was not done. “What Modi has done in the last 10 years is just the trailer, and a lot more has to be done for the country and Bihar.”

Nitish was among those who lavished praise on the development works of the Modi government, while seeking to alleviate fears of the minority community regarding his tie-up with the BJP. Talking about how things had changed in Bihar since he came to power in 2005, he took a swipe at RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, saying “some people have been trying to take credit for works done by us”.

Addressing Muslims directly, the CM said: “We would like to tell you that so long as we (the NDA) are together, there would not be any communal discord. There has not been any communal tension under NDA rule.”

On his alliance with the RJD, Nitish said: “Woh toh jhooth-mooth ka hum beech mein ek baar saath kar liye the (For a while, we just pretended to be with them)… so now he (Tejashwi) is taking credit for things that we did… However, I left when I realised they were doing wrong… Now I won’t be going anywhere.”

LJP (Ramvilas) chief Chirag Paswan said it was a matter of pride for him that the PM had chosen Jamui to launch his Bihar poll campaign. Chirag’s brother-in-law Arun Bharati is the NDA’s Jamui candidate.

Modi mentioned Chirag in his speech too. “My friend (LJP founder) Ram Vilas Paswan is not with us now, but I am happy that Chirag Paswan has been working hard to fulfill the commitments of his father,” the PM said of the LJP (Ramvilas) leader, who joined the NDA only recently.