Would you prefer to go to Tihar jail for getting work done, Modi asks people in Karnal rally

Karnal: Prime Minister today addressed his first election rally in Haryana to seek votes for his party in upcoming assembly elections.

Targeting INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala who has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in connection with Teacher's recruitment scam, Modi asked people what would be convenient for them to get their work done, travelling to Chandigarh or Tihar jail?

"If you have to get some work done then what will be convenient to you, going to Chandigarh or Tihar(referring to Chautala who is behind bars)? The decision is yours," said Modi.

Seeking a mandate to rid Haryana of Congress, Modilaunched 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.

Modi also said that the cancer hospital being made in Chandigarh will be made in collaboration with US.

"Indian government is making AIIMS in Chandigarh. I met that man who got Nobel Prize for helping cancer patients. I have made an agreement with US on cancer. The cancer institute that will be constructed in Haryana will be made with joined efforts of US and India. Our world is moving towards hi-fi, and wifi. They are as important as cleanliness. 500 water treatment plants are going to be made in Haryana. I want to utilize waste too. I want waste materials to be recycled. I want to make smart cities. Shouldn't Haryana also have smart cities. Shouldn't Karnal also be included?" said Modi.

"Tell me brothers and sisters, is it necessary to lie in elections? They are saying that the government of India is preventing basmati rice from being exported. The truth is that the Congress government in Haryana has put 4% tax on rice crop, hence they cannot compete in the market because buyers look for cheaper grains. Congress is to blame," added Modi.

Modi appealed to people of Haryana to give a clear majority to the BJP in the state so that he could pay back his debt to the people of the state.

"I want you to vote for the BJP so that it forms the government with full majority. Change is important if you want to move forward. Make Haryana free from the Congress misrule," Modi said.

"Will you vote for BJP? This election will decide Haryana's future. I'm sitting as your neighbor. I am here for you. But if you have to reach out to me, should there be any obstacle? Do you want me to be easily accessible? Will you allow me to pay my debt to you?"said Modi.

Here we are giving you live updates of Modi's rally:

11:40- Modi concludes his visit

11:38 - Modi:If you have to get some work done then what will be convenient to you, going to Chandigarh or Tihar(referring to Chautala who is behind bars). The decision is yours.

11:36 - Modi: Are they not enemies of villages?

Crowd: Congress

11:35-  Modi: Who is against farmers?

Crowd: Congress

11:34-  Modi: Ministers have made big claims. Haryana stands on 18th number in removing unemployment. In development, it stands 20th. In reducing poverty, it stands 9th. Who is responsible?

11:32 -  Whoever opens an account under PM Jan Dhan yojana will benefit. Anything is possible if you want development. Were you not promised that Karnal's condition will improve? Has it improved? Did your Chief Minister not notice it? Will you still vote for him. Indian government is making AIIMS in Chandigarh. I met that man who got Nobel Prize for helping cancer patients. I have made an agreement with US on cancer. The cancer institute that will be constructed in Haryana will be made with joined efforts of US and India. Our world is moving towards hi-fi, and wifi. They are as important as cleanliness. 500 water treatment plants are going to be made in Haryana. I want to utilize waste too. I want waste materials to be recycled. I want to make smart cities. Shouldn't Haryana also have smart cities. Shouldn't Karnal also be included?

11:29-  Modi: Today the world is looking up to India. Wasn't India here before too? Japan, China and US are looking up to India. It''s not because of Modi. Its because 1.25 crore have given India a stable government. You have all elected me. You want Haryana to develop – For that you have to remove Congress. You have to give Haryana a stable government. You have to give entry to Modi in Haryana. I need an opportunity to serve this state. The moment we came to power, we launched schemes for farmers and Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana. Many people of India do not have bank accounts. Shouldn't poor people be able to use them?

11:27- Modi: In the past 15 years, have you suffered at the hands of the government? Were you not bullied? Were rogues sent to your houses to make you vacate it? Even the police of Haryana will not listen to me. They also belong to the Congress government.

11:26- Modi: Farmers are suffering. Where have thousands of acres of land gone? It is Kurukshetra! Here people can fight for every inch of this land.

11:24- Modi: Tell me brothers and sisters, is it necessary to lie in elections? They are saying that the government of India is preventing basmati rice from being exported. The truth is that the Congress government in Haryana has put 4% tax on rice crop, hence they cannot compete in the market because buyers look for cheaper grains. Congress is to blame.

11:21- Modi: Do you want to live like your ancestors? Don't you want development in Haryana? Those who could do nothing in 60 years are asking me to give answers for last 6 months.Was Kailash Mansarovar in Congress's time? Yes it was. But it was difficult to reach there. For old aged people, it was impossible. But now we have convinced China to open roads for us.

11:19 - Modi: Will you vote for BJP? This election will decide Haryana's future. I'm sitting as your neighbor. I am here for you. But if you have to reach out to me, should there be any obstacle? Do you want me to be easily accessible? Will you allow me to pay my debt to you?

11:17- Modi: Haryana and Maharashtra are in the midst of polls. After celebrating the festival ofVijaya Dashami, I'm here to campaign in Haryana. I'm on the land from where the message of Gita was spread. It was here that the Great battle of Mahabharat was fought. But above all I feel at home in Haryana.

11:15 am: Modi begins his speech. He greets all the organizers, veteran leaders of the BJP and people.

After Karnal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing 3 rallies in Maharashtra  today that is going to polls on Oct 15. Like his Lok Sabha campaign, his main agenda will be good governance and development. His rallies in Maharashtra and Haryana begins today and will continue till October 13.

Senior party leaders L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, Amit Shah and Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj and M Venkaiah Naidu will also campaign for the party candidates in both the states where the party is seeking to form government on its own. They will campaign for at least three to five days in the two states, where the focus would be on highlighting the ‘misrule' of Congress and providing the people with good governance and development.

“Prime Minister Modi will launch the party's poll campaign for Haryana and Maharashtra by addressing rallies from October 4 to 13. He will address a rally in Karnal in Haryana on the first day of his campaign and will also address three rallies in Kolhapur, Beed and Mumbai in Maharashtra,” BJP Vice President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.

The party has coined a slogan “chalo chalein Modi ke saath” (let's move with Modi) to woo the electorate in the two states.

Congress has been in power in Haryana for the last 10 years and in Maharashtra for 15 years. It faces anti-incumbency, a fact acknowledged by the BJP and they intend to make complete use of this disadvantage of the ruling party of the states.

The two states are to witness assembly polls on October 15. The results will be declared on 19 the of the same month. By-elections will also be held in the two states.

According to opinion polls, the BJP may land a victory in Maharashtra but its position in Haryana yet looks dicey.