In Pics: Narendra Modi launches election campaign in Maharashtra and Haryana

New Delhi: Seeking a mandate to rid Haryana of Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today launched a sharp attack on the party targeting it over alleged land scams and being “anti-farmer”.“Which poor has got a plot, has anyone got...but then where have thousands of acres of land disappeared, who has taken this. Does Haryana want to settle account,” he said kicking off his party's election campaign in Haryana for the October 15 Assembly polls.Modi took no names but the attack comes against the backdrop of controversies surrounding the land deals of Congress President Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra which the Hooda government is believed to have helped him. He also sought a clear mandate for the BJP in Haryana for putting the state on a growth trajectory. Continuing his Lok Sabha plank of ousting the Congress, the Prime Minister hit out at the Congress for the state's backwardness.Seeking to connect with the farmers of the state, Modi in his 30-minute address, hit out at the Congress for stating that the Centre had imposed ban on Basmati rice export. Modi said he was surprised at the lies being spread among the people of Haryana that the Centre had imposed a ban on Basmati export.Karnal region is a famous Basmati belt in the country. “My farmer brothers and sisters, on one thing you are being misled, naked lies are being told, you are being told that the Centre has imposed a ban on export of Basmati rice, this is 100 per cent lies. This is injustice with the farmers.“What is the truth then, I want to tell you that in Haryana ‘mandis', Congress government has imposed 4 per cent tax and as a result Haryana farmer who sells his Basmati is unable to compete in the competitive market,” he said.“The anti-farmer Congress, which is in power for 10 years, is responsible because of which the Basmati producing farmer is distraught,” he said, adding that the water table is going down, and the government is unable to supply adequate power to consumers.Modi also launched a veiled attack on main opposition INLD, asking the people whether they would like the State being governed from jail.INLD President and former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala has been sentenced in the teachers recruitment scam. Chautala, who is out on bail on health grounds, had said he would take oath as the next CM from Tihar Jail.Further lambasting the Congress as well as the previous INLD government, which ruled the State from 2000-05, Modi asked the people had they got any happiness during the past 15 years.“Tell me one thing, have the governments during the past 15 years given you any happiness, haven't you faced problems during this time, did ‘goondas' used to come for evicting people from their houses and forcibly occupying property and plots, do you want to get rid from such things, then you will have to give me an opportunity to serve you,” he said. Seeking to puncture the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government's ‘Haryana No 1' campaign, Modi said Haryana has fallen behind and lagged on several parameters. “In literacy, Haryana is at 22th position in the country. For removing unemployment, the state is at 18th position,” he said.Modi said in terms of growth rate, poverty alleviation, per capita income, per capita expenditure on education, health, agriculture, rural development and transport, Haryana is at 20th position, 9, 8, 12, 19, 18, 13 and 7 respectively. “They talk about farmers. Who is anti-farmer. You have to decide...are they not enemies of villages,” he said. Modi sought clear mandate for BJP candidates for Haryana polls, assuring he would change the “fortunes” of Haryana. “Do not go for those who have already been tried,” he said.Modi said today the entire world was looking at India with greater respect and this had happened not because of him, but the power of 125 crore people of India, who had formed a strong and stable government at the Centre. He said earlier India did not get the due weightage, but the perspective of the world towards India had now changed. “What has changed, why has India's pride increased today? This is not because of Modi, don't be mistaken. This is because 125 crore people have formed a strong and stable government at the Centre. This magic is yours and not that of Modi, this magic is of 125 crore people of our country and those of Haryana,” he said.“Do you want that Haryana's name also echo around the world,” he asked the gathering.“Its first condition is that there should be ‘Congress mukt Haryana'. The second that a stable government with full majority should be formed. And third, there should be a government which lets Modi work in Haryana,” he said.Attacking the ruling Congress in the state, Modi said those who could not do anything for the last 60 years were now asking for his record in 60 days.Seeking to strike an emotional chord with the people of the state, Modi said, “I am starting the campaign from the land of ‘Daanveer Karan', the land where holy Gita's message was delivered, I am starting this campaign from that land where battle of Mahabharata is connected with the victory of truth...”He then went on to add that “what is more important, however, is that when I come to Haryana I feel like I have returned home, have come to be among my own people. This is the land where I spent my days, where I got political lessons”.Over 15 years back, Modi had been active in Haryana as a partyman.Appealing voters to give BJP a clear mandate, Modi told them, “I am sitting in your neighbourhood, I am yours and I am there for you. But if I have to reach you, should there be any obstacle (non-BJP govt)...do you want that I should remain directly connected with Haryana, for that you make BJP government in the State. Only then can I have free access to you, otherwise if someone else is there, who knows how many obstacles will crop up..”Again touching on the days he spent in Haryana earlier, Modi told the gathering, “I had said that I want to repay the debt to the people of Haryana. Will you give me clear mandate?”.He told the youth that time has come when they have to decide whether they want to have better lives and a better future.“Do you want change, do you want employment, do you want peace and development in state, development in villages and cities, then change is a must in Haryana,” said Modi, who is set to address a series of rallies in Haryana ahead of the polls.Talking about the new route for Kailash Mansarovar yatra, he said the route existed even when Congress was in power but they had failed to do anything. “Kailash Mansarovar was there when Congress government was there. But going there was very difficult. The work which Congress could not do, we did it in such a short time....we managed to make China understand and opened a second road to visit Kailash Mansoravar. And now one can visit Kailash Mansarovar by road,” he said.Slamming Congress for not making banking service available for poor people, Modi said that after coming to power, the NDA-led Government had started Jan Dhan Yojna scheme so that the “poorest of the poor” could have access to banking facilities.“We started PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojna as we wanted to make sufficient water available to farmers. We also started PM Jan Dhan Yojna. Half of country's population had not seen bank's door. You tell me what are government owned banks for. Are they meant to serve rich people...should these banks not serve poor. For last 60 years, nothing had happened on this front. I have decided that poor will not beg money from money lenders rather banks will provide funds to the poor,” he said. Modi said with Jan Dhan Yojna scheme, the poorest of poor would also get Rs 1 lakh insurance and Rs 3,000 for bearing medical expense.Taking a swipe at former Railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, Modi said the former union minister did not give attention to the issue of upgrading Karnal Railway Station. “You tell me, whether you were promised upgradation of Karnal Railway Station. (Former) Railway minister used to move on this route (Chandigarh-Delhi). Whether he could see the Karnal Railway Station. Had he done anything (for Karnal Railway Station). Will you again trust him,” he asked the gathering.Referring to his recent US visit, Modi said India and the US have signed an MoU for carrying out research in developing cheaper medicine for cancer patients. “Poor people should get cheaper medicine for cancer (disease) and malaria. An MoU with USA has been signed in this regard. The cancer institute which is coming up in Haryana will also work for making available medicine to cancer patients,” he said.Modi, who launched ‘Clean India' campaign two days back, stressed that neat and clean surroundings were a must. In a lighter vein, he said, “Today, we may be living in the time of “hi-fi” and “wi-fi”, but ‘Safai' (cleanliness) was equally important”.He said treated water should be given to farmers who are not getting adequate supply.“...I want to work on it. I want manure should be made from litter which should be given to farmers, it will be the best manure for farmers and it will also lead to cleaner cities,” he said.Prime Minister Narendra Modi today hit back at Congress chief Sonia Gandhi for accusing his government of not fulfilling poll promises, saying those seeking account of his performance in four months in power, have done little in the last 60 years.Addressing an election rally here, the pocket borough of late Gopinath Munde, Modi said,”They want an account of my work...what have they done in the past 60 years. Give me 60 months and I will pull the country out of the troubles,” he said.The state will go for Assembly elections on October 15 and bypoll to the Beed Lok Sabha seat will also be held on the same day. The bypoll was necessitated following the death of Union Minister Munde in a road mishap in Delhi soon after the Modi government came to power.Attacking the former Congress-NCP alliance which ruled the state till recently, he said both the parties belong to the same ‘gotra' (clan). “They are not rashtravadi (nationalist) but bhrastacharvadi (corrupt),” he said. The Prime Minister also sought complete majority for the BJP in the state, saying the party was required for development.He said while 3,700 farmers commit suicide in the state annually, the UPA government in Delhi failed to provide them with water for irrigation.“If the farmer is provided with water and electricity he can turn the fields into goldmine,” he said. Referring to his recent US and Japan visits and the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Modi said people must be wondering how the state will benefit out of the bilateral engagements.He said industrial parts in the state and high speed rail link between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will help generate employment for the youth.Recalling Munde's leadership, he said had the late BJP leader been alive, there was no need for him to come to Beed for election rally.He also used the platform to spread the word about the ‘Swachh Bharat Mission' kicked off by him on October 2. “Do not forget to carry the water bottles and paper from the rally ground. Do not leave the litter behind. Would you remember this,” he said.The BJP is not contesting the assembly polls with its previous ally Shiv Sena after the two parted ways recently.Later, addressing a rally at Aurangabad Modi, without naming former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, slammed him for practising “political untouchability” “Give BJP absolute majority to ensure that whatever I send for Maharashtra reaches the people. It will not happen if those who are not prepared to share stage with me are in power. If there is political untouchability, how can the state benefit from the Centre,” he said.Chavan and Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had said they would not share dias with Modi after they were booed at the Prime Minister's events by alleged BJP supporters.Referring to the Prime Minister Jan Dhan scheme launched recently by him, Modi said though the Congress government nationalised banks, the poor were left out of the banking system.“There was hardly a poor man seen in banks. Are banks only for the rich? I decided that the money lying in banks will reach the poor and launched PM Jan Dhan Yojana. “I said poor can open accounts without having to deposit a single rupee. But the poor of my country are not poor at heart. They deposited Rs 3000 crore in five crore accounts opened in a month,” he said.“The upcoming election will provide people a good chance to ensure Maharashtra is made free of Congress,” Modi said and sought a decisive mandate in favour of BJP to change the State's fate.The Prime Minister said Aurangabad has a good tourism potential because of the world renowned Ajanta and Ellora caves located near the city in central Maharashtra but it should be kept clean to attract more tourists. Modi said at the national level Maharashtra was 12th in terms of literacy rate, 6th in employment generation and 15th in growth rate.“You must teach a lesson to people who have done this to the State,” he said, adding the country cannot progress if Maharashtra lags behind in development. Highlighting his Government's achievements in the last four months, he said petrol and diesel prices have come down and inflation rate, too, has dropped. “I am taking steps to bring down the prices of essential commodities and also curb corruption,” he added.