"PM Modi Warns: SP and Congress to Reward 'Vote Jihad' with Public Properties in UP"

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing a rally in Hamirpur, UP, warned against the SP and Congress, accusing them of "vote jihad" and threatening property investigations. Modi criticized Congress over Article 370, nuclear threats, and lauded local bravery. He highlighted his development plans for Bundelkhand, including the Ken-Betwa Link Project. Modi also accused the opposition of attempting to amend the Constitution to grant reservations to Muslims. He paid tribute to former UP chief Kalyan Singh and criticized the SP for not honoring him. The main electoral contest in Hamirpur is between BJP and SP candidates.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that the SP and the Congress will use people's votes to come to power and then gift a part of their property to those who carry out ''vote jihad'' for them.

Addressing a rally here, Modi cautioned people against the ''intentions'' of the two opposition allies in Uttar Pradesh.

''Today I have come to caution you against the SP and the Congress. They will take your vote, but after coming to power, they will distribute these gifts to those who do vote jihad for them,'' he said.

''This time, the SP and the Congress have made their intentions clear even before the elections. The Congress is saying that it will investigate everyone's property. Then they will give a part of your property to the vote bank that does vote jihad for them,'' he said.

While addressing a rally on April 29, Samajwadi Party (SP) functionary and Congress leader Salman Khurshid's niece, Maria Alam, called for ''vote jihad'' in favour of the INDIA bloc candidate from the Farrukhabad Lok Sabha seat, Naval Kishore Shakya.

Modi has been hitting the INDIA bloc hard over ''vote jihad'' since then.

Virtually going all guns blazing at the Congress in Bundelkhand over Article 370 and its threat that Pakistan has the atom bomb, Prime Minister Modi said he will tell the Congress that they should come to this land of Bundelkhand and see what bravery is.

''The Congress is saying that they will bring back Article 370 in Kashmir. These days the Congress is threatening to be afraid of Pakistan because it has the atom bomb. I want to tell the Congress that they should come to this land of Bundelkhand and see what bravery is,'' he said.

''They say that Pakistan has a nuclear bomb, but those giving these threats do not know that it does not even have the money to maintain it. They say it has missiles. The defence corridor we are building in Bundelkhand is not for making firecrackers but for making missiles,'' Modi added.

''Today, I want to ask a question from the land of Alha-Udal. You tell me, can anything be above the honour of the nation? ''Modi removed (Article) 370 from Kashmir and gave a befitting reply to Pakistan for the self-respect of the country. Modi fought with the big powers of the world. But the Congress is talking about spoiling it,'' he said.

Alha was a legendary general of the Chandel king Paramardideva (also known as Parmal), who fought Prithviraj Chauhan. Udal was his brother.

''The BJP government is building two defence corridors in the country. Modi decided that a defence corridor will be built in Bundelkhand, the land of heroes. Our effort is that the youth do not have to leave Bundelkhand. Our resolve is that Bundelkhand should become the centre of industry and employment,'' the Prime Minister said.

In a video clip, Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar was heard saying India should give respect to Pakistan as it is a sovereign nation and engage with it as it also possesses the atom bomb. He indicated in the video that if a ''mad person'' comes to power there and uses the atomic bomb, it will have its effect in India too.

While Aiyar said the video was old and dredged up now as the BJP's election campaign is faltering, the Congress said it totally disagreed with the remarks made by Aiyar some months ago.

Attacking the previous governments, Prime Minister Modi said, ''The previous governments used to say Bundelkhand is a rugged area. Who will go there? ''I say, Bundelkhand is the land of bravery and development. Who will not come here?'' he said.

Throwing light on the Ken-Betwa Link Project, Modi said, ''Our government has started work on the Ken-Betwa Link Project. To solve the water problem for you, our government is spending more than Rs 40,000 crore on this project.'' He said a new chapter will begin in the history of Bundelkhand when this scheme is completed. The development here will get new wings. Only the BJP can complete this plan, he said.

The PM said he has come to seek the blessings of the people for the rapid development of Bundelkhand.

Paying tributes to former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh, Modi said he was a great leader of the country who raised the honour of the backward classes. But when he died, the SP chief did not even go to pay tributes to him, he said.

''Our Kalyan Singh ji was a Ram devotee. He sacrificed his government for the Ram temple. Had he (SP chief) gone to pay tributes to Babuji, his vote bank would have got angry. What do these people do to please their vote bank? When a mafia dies in UP, they reach his grave to read fatiha,'' Modi said.

Accusing the opposition of trying to give reservations to Muslims by amending the Constitution, Modi said, ''Now these people want to change the Constitution and give the entire reservation of the SCs, STs and OBCs to Muslims. I had said to the Samajwadi Party that you do politics of the backward classes. Please avoid the trap that is being laid to snatch the reservation of the backward classes from the back door.'' But the SP people have kept their mouths shut, the PM said.

''Baba Saheb Ambedkar had strongly opposed reservation on the basis of religion and the Constituent Assembly had also decided that there will never be reservation on the basis of religion in our country. But where there is a Congress government, these people are reducing the reservation of the Dalits and backward classes and giving it to Muslims,'' he said.

There are 11 candidates in the poll fray in Hamirpur. The main contest is between BJP's Kunwar Pushpendra Singh Chandel and SP's Ajendra Singh Lodhi.

Hamirpur will vote in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)