Big, powerful people in India, abroad joined hands to remove me from power: Modi

 Targeting the INDIA bloc, he said the opposition alliance doesn't have a leader at present, and has no vision for future, and 'their history was of scams.'

PTI, 20 April 2024: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said big and powerful people in India and abroad have joined hands to remove him from power.

Addressing a mega public meeting here, he said, "Mothers and sisters have come in a large number here. Your struggle and the challenges you face to nurture your family, Modi has seen this in his house. These days big and powerful people in the country and abroad have united to remove Modi."

"But, because of Nari Shakti and Maatru Shakti's blessings and Suraksha kavach (safety armour), Modi is able to move on fighting challenges."

"Serving mothers, sisters and daughters and protecting them is Modi's priority," he said, listing out measures taken by his government for women's welfare in ten years, like supporting their self help groups and creating 'Lakhpati Didis'.

Former Minister K Sudhakar is the BJP candidate from Chikkaballapur, while its alliance partner JD(S) has fielded M Mallesh Babu from the neighbouring Kolar.

The prime minister said the first phase of voting for Lok Sabha on Friday has gone in favour of NDA and 'Viksit Bharat'.

Targeting the INDIA bloc, he said the opposition alliance doesn't have a leader at present, and has no vision for future, and "their history was of scams."

Praising JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda who shared the stage with him, for his energy and commitment at the age of 90, Modi said he too draws inspiration from him.

“His (Gowda) commitment towards Karnataka, the pain in his heart for the plight of Karnataka today and the ‘josh’ in his voice, is the testimony for Karnataka’s bright future,” he said, as he thanked Gowda for his “blessings”.

The JD(S) joined the NDA in September last year.

Karnataka is going to the polls in two phases. While 14 Lok Sabha segments in the southern parts of the state will vote on April 26, the remaining 14 constituencies in the northern parts will vote in the second phase on May 7.

The Prime Minister on Saturday dubbed the Congress a vine which has no roots or branches and sucks dry those who support it and asked people to be wary of the Opposition alliance in realising the goals of 'Viksit Bharat' and 'Viksit Maharashtra'.

Addressing a rally in Parbhani in Maharashtra's Marathwada region to canvas for NDA ally Rashtriya Samaj Paksha's Mahadev Jankar, who is contesting from Parbhani Lok Sabha seat, Modi said the 2024 polls were not just to form the government, but to make India developed and self-reliant.

This was Modi's second rally of the day in the state.

Before that, he addressed a public meeting at the neighbouring Nanded constituency. Both seats go to polls in the second phase on April 26. "Congress is a vine which doesn't have roots or branches. It sucks dry those who lend support to it," the Prime Minister said, hitting out at the Opposition. 

He accused the Congress of partitioning the country and creating the Kashmir issue. Modi said the Congress did not allow the Constitution to be implemented in Kashmir under the pretext of Article370.