National security and international relations made it to the Uttar Pradesh elections as Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to Operation Ganga in his election speeches on Sunday.
“We are bringing hundreds of Indians from Ukraine. We are working day and night to ensure the safe return of our sons and daughters,” Mr Modi said while addressing public meetings in Basti, Deoria, and Varanasi. He said this was the time to strengthen India by dedicating oneself to the country.
“However, those dynasts who live on the commission made from defence deals can’t be expected to make India self-reliant,” he added.
In Varanasi, in an emotional pitch, Mr Modi said his political rivals had prayed for his death. “I don’t want to make personal comments on anybody but when wishes were made publicly for my death, I felt elated and satisfied. It means that till my death, neither Kashi would leave me nor would I part with the holy city.”
The jibe was apparently directed at SP president Akhilesh Yadav who, in the run-up to the elections, questioned the PM’s frequent visits to his constituency to announce government schemes and inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor. “People spend their last days in Varanasi,” Mr Yadav had remarked. While the SP supporters said the statement was in connection to the last days of the BJP rule in the State, the BJP had slammed the comment.
Earlier in Basti, Mt Modi accused previous governments of ignoring the interests of Indian forces. “The hearts of the parivarvadi people beat for terrorists who orchestrate bomb blasts in the country,” he said. In his public meetings, Mr Modi has been referring to Congress and Samajwadi Party as ghor parivarvadi (parties that promote nepotism and dynastic politics).
Linking national security with strong State governments, Mr. Modi said the country would become strong only when people vote for a robust government in Uttar Pradesh.
Mr Modi also emphasised on the changing energy needs of the country and said the BJP government had worked towards reducing the dependence on fossil fuels by exploring new possibilities in the domain of biofuels. Referring to ethanol distilleries in Piparaich town in Gorakhpur, Mr Modi said the government was creating a network of ethanol plants to secure the interest of sugarcane farmers and reduce the dependence on petrol and diesel.
Sharpening the attack on the SP, Mr. Modi said a party that keeps changing its allies in every election can’t be trusted. “They dropped the people they moved with in 2017 to forge another alliance in 2019. Now they are moving with a new set of friends in 2022. Would you vote for people who keep changing their partners,” he asked. The SP fought the 2017 election with Congress but stitched an alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party in 2019.
He said the ‘double engine’ government rose above caste and creed to provide free ration to nine crore backward castes, three crore Dalits, and three crore people of general category.
