Modi to Sonia: If power is poison, then Congress has sown its seeds for many years

NEW DELHI: In a quick retaliation to Congress Vice President Sonia Gandhi's ' seeds of poison' jibe, BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Sunday questioned, "A few days ago, Rahul Gandhi was told by his mother that power is poison. Who has been in power for so many years? Therefore who is sowing poison?"

Accusing Congress of playing ‘divisive politics’, Modi said that since the party had been in power for the maximum time, it had tasted ‘poison’ the most.

Raising a ‘Vote for India’ chant Modi asked people to elect BJP in order to ensure that the country moves on the path to progress.

“I promise to be a watchman of the national treasures. We will look after the treasure vault that India is,” Modi said.

Addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut, Modi slammed the Samajwadi Party government and criticized them for not working towards development of the state.

Attacking the Akhilesh Yadav-led UP government, Modi said, “Samajwadi Party is responsible for the deteriorating law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh.” “After BJP’s governance in Gujarat, the state has become riot free,” he added.

Challenging the UP government, Modi said, “Compete with me on the basis of development, not by holding rallies. First develop UP and then compete with me.”

Touting the Gujarat model of development, Modi said that in the state there is no need for people to give interviews in order to get jobs. “People in UP have to struggle with corruption and system of bribery in order to get jobs,” he said.

Modi also raked up the issue of the recent death of an Arunachal Pradesh student in the national capital. “A few days ago women from Africa were ill treated. Then, a boy from Arunachal was killed. This is a shame for all of us,” he said. “The way Delhi is being governed shows the country in bad light,” he added.

The BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate said that he had made Gujarat free of riots and would make UP also riot-free if his government is voted to power.

Accusing Congress of driving a wedge between states and communities, Modi referred to the Telangana issue and said that the entire Andhra Pradesh is engulfed in the fire started by the manner in which the Congress had handled the issue.

"It is because they are following a police of divide and rule. You keep sowing seeds of poison and destroying the country."

He compared it with the creation of states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee led NDA government and said that at that time celebrations had taken place.