[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In Gujarat on a 3-day visit, PM Modi on Monday started his poll campaign from Bhuj in Kutch district, sticking to the script rehearsed earlier: project his humble beginnings, talk of Gujarat pride and claim his dedication to the cause of the nation and its poor while portraying the Congress as anti-poor, anti-Gujarat and downright anti-national.

Development remained on the fringes of the themes he picked for talking about in his speeches, touching upon a few – only to say Congress had opposed them.

A key topic was security and the army and his government approach to them. He mentioned the surgical strikes following the Uri attacks last year as the example. Referring to the demands made then that his government must refute Pakistan’s denials of India having carried out surgical strike across the border, Modi lashed at the Congress for seeking proof of the strikes. “These people (Opposition) asked for pictures of surgical strike as evidence. Did we go to shoot a film?” he said.

The prime minister also claimed that India’s response to 26/11 and Uri terror attacks explain the difference between the previous UPA government and his. “India was attacked on 26/11 and in Uri. You can see how India responded in the wake of both the attacks. This explains the difference between their Government and ours,” said Modi.

Last October, it was under Modi government that India for the first time went public about the army carrying out strikes in Pakistan territory in retaliation against attacks by Pakistanis in India.

Avoiding any mention of the controversies that his government or the party is being accused of being involved in, he, however, said, “In last some days, people from across the country have hurled so much mud at Gujarat that blossoming of Lotus is certain here.”

There have been allegations of Modi going for purchase of Rafale fighter aircrafts at inflated rates and working it to benefit Reliance, a charge that the company has vehemently denied. Other issues being raised by the opposition include the business deals of BJP president Amit Shah’s son, Jay Shah.

Notwithstanding the charges, Modi said, “In so many years of public life, there is no stain on me and how dare you abuse ‘Son of Gujarat’. Will you tolerate ‘atyachar’ on your son?”

At the same time, he charged the Congress of acting against India’s security interests. “A Pakistani court released a Pakistani terrorist and the Congress is celebrating. I was surprised why. And this same Congress refused to believe our own army on surgical strikes and preferred to believe the Chinese Ambassador,” said PM Modi, according to media reports.

Sticking to his guns on the issue of demonetisation, slammed as unwise and thoughtlessly implemented by opponents and several experts alike, he said, “Congress is unhappy about demonetisation. They keep attacking me but I want to tell them…I have grown up in the same land as Sardar Patel. I will ensure that the poor get their due. We will not allow this nation to be looted.”

Talking about GST, on which his government was claiming credit but which had created resentment in the Gujarat business community, Modi sought to shift the blame to Congress: “During the meeting on GST, Congress showed support. However, after coming out the party changed its stand and started attacking GST,” he said.

“We are not here for power, we are here for 125 crore Indians. We want to take India to new heights of glory,” he said.

Attacking his critics, he said, “There are some people who love spreading negativity and pessimism. My appeal to them is to stop doing that. They lack Neeti, Niyat, a Neta and a Naata with the people (policy, intention, leader and connect with people).”

He spoke about the relief and rehabilitation work in Kutch after the devastating 2001 quake: “When big earthquakes take place people say see this building fell, but in Kutch people say this school, this hospital, these buildings were made after the earthquake. All this was done on war footing by the army of Kutch which consists of its people”

“Kutch is one such region which has Pakistan on one side and a wide desert on the other. Nobody thought if there could be any development in this region, but we brought a tributary to this region. Development and tourism followed. People from the nation are coming here to enjoy the Rann Utsav. The development work in Kutch after the 2001 quake is for all to see.”

Prime Minister Modi also accused the Congress of not being serious about development and said the Narmada waters could have reached Kutch 30 years ago, but didn’t.

“Officers did not want to get posted to Kutch region as the water here was black in colour. The Congress did not allow Narmada water to come to the Kutch region. What if the Narmada waters had come to Kutch 30 years earlier? It would have made such a big difference,” the prime minister added.

Playing on the local sentiment, he said, “Gujarat is my Atma, Bharat is my Parmatma. This land of Gujarat has cared for me, Gujarat has given me strength.”

Taking on the Congress leadership, Modi said according to media reports, “On one side there is Vikas and Vishwas (development and confidence) while on the other side there is Vanshwad (dynasty)… They are coming to Gujarat and spreading lies about a son of Gujarat. Earlier they did that with Sardar Patel also… Gujarat will never accept this. Gujarat will never forgive the Congress Party and this has been the case for long. Congress has never liked Gujarat, has always preferred to see it lag behind.”

“A new party came up in Delhi, whose style is to keep abusing & running away,” he said referring to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

“I thought Congress, being an older party would not indulge in such politics but they have also taken this shortcut in the past two months and only hurled abuses and lies,” PM Modi said.

He said it was only under the BJP government that Gujarat law and order improved. “Remember the Gujarat before BJP came to power? To travel to Ahmedabad also people had to ask is it safe. Law and order situation in the state was very poor. All this changed after BJP came to power,” he said.

Reiterating the allegation that Congress hates Gujarat and Gujaratis, Modi provided another piece of history: “It was with the support of the Jan Sangh that a person from the Patel Community, Babubhai Patel became CM. Congress did not like this and ensured that Babubhai Jashbhai’s government did not last.”

“When Chimanbhai Patel begun to stand on his own feet the Congress got angry – why is he being independent? So they removed him as well. It was the BJP that supported Chimanbhai and both he and Keshubhai Patel worked together. When Keshubhai Patel, a son of Saurashtra became the CM the Congress tried everything to dislodge him. They repeated the same disruptive tactic with Anandiben Patel, a daughter of the Patel Community. Congress has defamed Gujarat always,” said Modi.

“We have served Gujarat without any discrimination. Our belief is in the Mantra of ‘Sauno Saath, Sauno Vikas’,” said Modi.

Modi proceeded to refer to his origins, to contrast it with that of Congress leadership, Rahul Gandhi in particular. “The Congress dislikes me because of my poor origins. Can a party stoop so low? Yes, a person belonging to a poor family has become PM. They do not fail to hide their contempt for this fact. Yes, I sold tea but I did not sell the nation,” said Modi.

Accusing Congress of mocking at all poor citizens by mocking at him, he said, “I request the Congress not to mock the poor and my poor origins.”

“I am grateful for all the ‘keechad’ (muck) being thrown at me, after all, a lotus blooms only in ‘keechad’ so, I don’t mind if more is thrown at me,” said Modi.

Modi is expected to address rallies in different parts of Kutch, Saurashtra and south Gujarat during this visit, said media reports.

Several prominent leaders including Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj, chief ministers of BJP-ruled states — Yogi Adityanath and Vasundhara Raje are expected to join the Gujarat poll campaign.

Polling for the two-phase elections in the state, having total 182 assembly seats, will take place on December 9 and 14. While 89 seats of Saurashtra and South Gujarat region will go to polls in the first phase, the election in the remaining 93 constituencies in central and northern regions will be held in the second phase.

Votes will be counted on December 18.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]