Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday intensified his attack on the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress, alleging that ‘jihadis’ in Pakistan are offering prayers in support of these opposition parties in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking at a rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria district, PM Modi claimed that both SP and Congress are appealing for “vote jihad” in the elections. “In Pakistan, ‘duas’ (prayers) are being made for the INDI alliance of Samajwadi Party and Congress. Jihadis across the border are supporting them. The SP and Congress are making an appeal for ‘vote jihad’ here,” the Prime Minister stated, referring to a controversial remark by an INDIA bloc candidate.
Furthering his criticism, PM Modi accused the Opposition-led INDIA bloc of hindering the country’s progress. “Their agenda is not the development of India. They want to pull the country back by several decades,” he said.
The Prime Minister also responded to allegations of religious discrimination regarding reservations. He accused the “INDI jamaat” of abusing him for opposing religion-based reservations. Additionally, he accused Congress of obstructing the sale of BrahMos missiles to countries interested in purchasing them. This comes after India recently delivered the first batch of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines, bolstering its defense capabilities against Chinese activities in the South China Sea.
The campaign trail has seen heightened tensions, especially following comments by Samajwadi Party leader Maria Alam, niece of Congress leader Salman Khurshid. Earlier this month, she called for “vote jihad” in favor of Naval Kishore Shakya, the INDIA bloc candidate from Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh.
The Bansgaon and Deoria seats are set to vote in the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections on June 1, with results to be declared on June 4.
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