Kanpur train accident was conspiracy from across the border: PM Narendra Modi

LUCKNOW: A day after he took on UP CM Akhilesh Yadav for his 'Gujarat ke gadhe' comment, PM Narendra Modi on Friday invoked spirit of patriotism in people and said nationalists such as them should never vote for parties that never stood by its soldiers.

Addressing the election meeting in Gonda, the region close to India-Nepal border, Modi referred to the recent train tragedy in Kanpur and said findings by the government showed it was a conspiracy and the conspirators carried it out sitting across the border.

"Kanpur rail accident in which hundreds were killed was a conspiracy and conspirators carried it out sitting across the border ... Gonda is adjoining Nepal ... if the cross-border foes want to carry out their work, is it not necessary that more vigil is maintained in Gonda?" Modi said. "Gonda needs to elect only those who are full of patriotism, only then we can do anything good for Gonda," he said. Invoking Lord Shiva on Mahashivratri, Modi said people, with their third eye, can see what is good for them and what is bad."We will celebrate kesariya (saffron) holi in UP and after forming the government, the first decision will be loan waiver of farmers," he said , adding that only the BJP government thought about the welfare of soldiers. "We have transferred 7,000 crore out of 12,000 crore in bank accounts of ex-armymen under OROP. The Indian Army had been demanding OROP, but the previous govt never paid heed to it," he said.

The PM also said while some political leaders raised questions over surgical strikes across LoC Congress, whom SP has allied with, never respected armed forces. They did not even take note of troubles our ex-servicemen faced, he added.

Meanwhile at a rally in Faizabad Akhilesh Yadav dared Modi to swear by the Ganga and Saryu rivers that Varanasi was not getting 24x7 power supply, as Modi had alleged. While we are talking of development, the BJP and its leaders are engaged in graveyards and crematoriums," Yadav said, referring to a recent comment made by the PM alleging that the SP government discriminated on the lines of religion.