PM takes Channi, Farooq to task for their remarks on Surankote attack, PoJK merger

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing an election rally in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday. (UNI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing an election rally in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday. (UNI)

Why so much love for Pak and hatred for Army?

*Want 400 seats to ensure Art 370 isn’t brought back

Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, May 7: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today took former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi to task for his controversial statement on terror attack on IAF convoy at Surankote tehsil in Poonch district and National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah for his remarks that Pakistan is not wearing bangles. However, he didn’t name them.
Addressing a mammoth election rally at Khargone in Madhya Pradesh, Modi said the Congress’ “love for Pakistan” is reaching at its peak after every phase of voting in the ongoing Parliamentary elections.

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“A former Congress Chief Minister said our Army carries out terrorist attacks, Pakistan is innocent,” Modi pointed out.
He was referring to a controversial statement by Congress leader and former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Surankote terror attack on the IAF convoy which he tried to clarify later.
Channi is Congress candidate from Jalandhar Parliamentary constituency.
An IAF Warrior was martyred and five soldiers were injured in an attack by the terrorists at Shahsitar, Snehi in Suranlkote tehsil of Poonch district in the evening of May 4.
Modi also took National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah to task, also without naming him, for his remarks that Pakistan is not wearing bangles.
Replying to a question on Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s statement on merger of Pakistan occupied Jammu Kashmir with J&K, Farooq Abdullah had yesterday stated that Pakistan is not wearing bangles and also has atom bombs.
The Prime Minister said the terrorists in Pakistan are threatening jihad against India and here, those in the Congress have also announced to do vote jihad against Modi…that means people of a particular religion are being asked to vote unitedly against Modi. Imagine what level the Congress has stooped to.
“The Congress had terrible intentions and its conspiracies were dangerous,” he said.
Look at the shamelessness of another big Congress leader, who said Pakistan had no role in the Mumbai terror attack, he mentioned.
Asserting that the Congress and the INDIA bloc neither care about our faith nor the national interest, he said there is a competition among the Congress people over (making) anti-national statements.
“I ask the prince of Congress, what is the intention of your colleagues who are speaking (like that)? Why so much love for Pakistan and so much hatred for our Army? That’s why people say – Congress ka haath (Congress’ hand)…,” he said to which members of the gathering added “Pakistan ke saath” (with Pakistan).
Addressing another massive rally at Dhar in Madhya Pradesh, Modi said it is important for the people to know that the BJP-led NDA already had 400-plus seats in Parliament.
“We used this number to scrap Article 370 which provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir,” he said, adding Modi wants 400 seats so that the Congress won’t bring back Article 370 to spoil the game.
“Modi also wants 400 seats so that the Congress won’t put up a Babri lock on the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
PTI adds: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country has reached a turning point in history and the people have to decide whether it will be run by “vote jihad” or Ram Rajya.
Modi hit out at the opposition Congress, saying its intent is very dangerous and it calls for “vote jihad” against him.
“India is at a turning point in history; you have to decide if vote jihad will work or Ram Rajya,” he said.
“INDI Alliance partners are not bothered about the fate of masses…they are fighting elections to save their dynasty,” Modi said targeting the opposition bloc.
For the opposition INDIA alliance partners, their “viraasat” (dynasty) is more important than the country and they can go to any extent to save their power, he said.
The PM asked the people whether they have heard the popular saying “Apna kaam banta…” (to be concerned only about own work), to which members of the gathering added “bhaad me jaaye janata” (not concerned about others).
“To understand this, you will have to listen to those people who have been Congress workers and leaders for 20-25 years and these people are now leaving the party,” he said.
“Now listen to them, a woman said when she went to the Ram temple, she was harassed so much that she had to leave the Congress,” Modi said.
Another person who left the Congress said the party has been “captured by the Muslim League and Maoists,” he stated.
“Another leader who left the Congress exposed another deep conspiracy, saying the shehzade (prince) of Congress intends to overturn the Supreme Court’s decision on the Ram Temple like his father did in the Shah Bano case,” he said.
In 1985, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Shah Bano, a Muslim woman from Indore who had sought maintenance from her husband after divorce, but the then-Congress government under PM Rajiv Gandhi overturned the judgment through an Act.
Further targeting his political opponents, Modi said as he has exposed their agenda, they have emptied their entire “dictionary of abuses” against him.
“Your vote has made India fifth largest economy in the world, led to the abrogation of Article 370 (which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir) and made a tribal woman president of the country. Your vote has lifted 25 crore people in India out of poverty,” Modi said addressing the gathering.
“Your vote has ended the wait of 500 years to make the grand temple of Lord Ram in Ayodhya,” he said.
The country is marching ahead because of the efforts of the people, Modi said.