May 18, 2024 04:37 PM IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that a ‘dhakad’ (formidable) government makes adversaries think twice before challenging India.
Making a case for a strong government in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said Pakistan had been troubling India for 70 years with bombs in its hands but is now holding a begging bowl. Addressing an election rally in Ambala, PM Modi asserted that robust leadership makes adversaries think twice before challenging India.
“When there is a ‘dhakad’ government in the country, enemies too think 100 times before doing any harm,” Modi said.
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“Pakistan had been troubling India for 70 years, it had bombs in its hands. Today it has ‘bheekh ka katora‘ (begging bowl) in its hands,” he said, referring to bailout packages from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“The enemies shiver like this when there is a ‘dhakad’ government,” the prime minister added.
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With just over two weeks remaining until the vote counting on June 4, Modi expressed confidence in his party’s performance in the ongoing elections.
“Only 17 days remain to go for 4th June. After four phases of elections, the Congress and INDI alliance and all their friends, parties have been completely destroyed,” he said.
“Whatever tactics the INDI alliance used for the country have all been defeated by the public itself. Haryana is a state which has patriotism in its veins. Haryana knows anti-national forces very well…Haryana recognises anti-national forces very well.”
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Patriotism runs in the veins of Haryana, Modi said, adding that the “state understands anti-national forces. Therefore, each house in Haryana is saying — phir ek baar” and the crowd responded, saying “Modi sarkar”.
Modi accused the Congress party of a history of deceit and corruption involving the armed forces.
“Congress did the first scam of the country with the armed forces. Congress continued this track record with new scams as long as it remained in power. Bofors scam, Submarine scam, Helicopter scam – Congress kept the armed forces of India weak. Do you know why? So that they can make earnings in the name of importing weapons from outside. They took no note of the requirements of our jawans,” Modi alleged.
“The jawans didn’t even have good rifles. They were given batons and told to face the bullets of terrorists. When Modi came to power, he said that this will not go on now. I started the initiative to make India’s armed forces aatmanirbhar,” Modi said.
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Among those present at the rally were former Haryana chief minister and the BJP’s Lok Sabha poll candidate from Karnal, Manohar Lal Khattar, the party’s Ambala and Kurukshetra candidates, Banto Kataria and Naveen Jindal.
Voting for the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana will be held in the sixth phase of the seven-phase election on May 25.
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