Tirupur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday once again called senior Congress leader P Chidambaram a “recounting Minister’ of the UPA regime.
He further charged Chidambaram for leaving the country’s economy in bad shape and described him as arrogant.
Modi had made the same ‘recounting Minister’ remark during his 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign, in which, in an apparent reference to Chidambaram’s 2009 victory in Lok Sabha polls from Sivaganga after a recounting of votes, Modi, the then Gujarat chief minister, had described him as the “recounting minister” and had charged him with displaying excessive arrogance while leaving the country’s economy in bad shape.
Speaking at a public rally, he said the BJP government’s step of offering tax exemption for those with incomes upto Rs five lakh was a reflection of genuine concern for the middle class, which is unlike the previous UPA regime.
Recalling the state of affairs during the UPA regime, Modi said there was a very wise Minister from Tamilnadu who thought all the knowledge in the world resided only in his brain. “Mr recounting minister, the middle class does not need the taunt by you and Congress. They have rejected you and will continue to do so,” he said.
Recently, Chidambaram had targeted the BJP on the row over the ‘National Sample Survey Organisation’s data on high unemployment’ and related developments.
Attacking the Congress, Modi said the good work of the NDA government has made some people very unhappy. “Those who thought power was their divine right, those who thought only they are bound to rule are disturbed. Because here is a government that is working. Their unhappiness has turned into desperation and abuse,” he said.
Be it agriculture or MSME, the answer will invariably be “Modi, Modi, Modi.” He said it was the NDA government which took the initiative to shut fake companies, remove fake beneficiaries and ensure that middlemen no more roamed the corridors of power.
Without naming anyone, he said that only in the services or products like mobile recharge or ice creams, was the idea of a “family pack” seen. But now it applied for bail too. “Those who thought they could never be questioned, who lorded over the nation are now having to give an account for the loot. This is what a change in India today.”
Slamming the grand opposition against his party, he said though the opposition parties called his government a failure and claimed it did nothing for the people and that he would be badly defeated, he said still they have to form a big alliance to defeat Modi.
However, “what is the agenda of the so called alliance, what are the issues they fight for, nobody knows. Because their guns are only aimed at me. This is ‘maha milavat, or adulteration.” He asked if the people of Tamilnadu and the rest of the country would ever accept an adulterated product? “Never,” he said.
The people of Tamilnadu and the entire nation are seeing through this game, Modi said. The “Mahamilvat” or “adulterated alliance” is a club of rich people trying to promote their dynasties. They neither understand poverty nor have a vision to serve the poor, he said.
“The opposition is good at one thing and that is to spread panic. Time and again they have tried to mislead farmers, workers and youngsters.” While the opposition talked of a “poorly thought out loan waiver” only during election, his government took the step of announcing Rs 6,000 assistance annually to farmers to support them, he said.
