Congress slams PM Narendra Modi, wonders if he will fight next election in Pakistan

NEW DELHI: Congress today attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "playing politics" with national security and said he was offering "platitudes" to Pakistan as if he is going to fight elections in that country instead of understanding the anger of people in India.

Congress leader Manish Tewari said, "Prime Minister has suddenly started lecturing the people of Pakistan about its new developmental imperatives. It seems Narendra Modi would be fighting the next elections in Pakistan rather than understanding the depth of anger which is there in the people of India."

"...He has tried to change the goalpost by talking about malnutrition and other development indices like poverty and unemployement. These are battles India won far back."

Addressing a massive gathering at a BJP meet yesterday in Kozhikode, Modi challenged Pakistan to go to war against poverty and unemployment.

He said, "I want to say that India is ready for a war... India is a ready for a war on poverty. Let both countries fight to see who would eradicate poverty first...I want to tell the youth of Pakistan, let's have a war on ending unemployment.

"...I want to call out to the children in Pakistan, let's declare war on illiteracy. Let's see who wins. Let's declare war on infant mortality and maternal deaths."