Beware of Congress, it tried to get Mulayam killed, Modi warns Akhilesh

KANNAUJ: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a blistering attack on Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav for taking “politics to the nadir“ by tying up with Congress, the party that had “conspired“ to have his father, Mulayam Singh Yadav, killed. It's a charge that Mulayam had himself first levelled against Congress in 1984.

“After the attempt on Mulayam's life, Charan Singh and Vajpayee had formed Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha to intensify the anti-Congress movement. But, in a bid to remain in power, Akhilesh has joined hands with the party that tried to kill his father,“ Modi said at a rally in Gursai ganj of Chhibramau assembly segment on Wednesday .

On March 4, 1984, Mulayam's car was fired at by some persons while he was on his way from Etawah to Lucknow, and the name of a top Yadav leader of the Congress had figured in the case. Mulayam has mentioned the allegation in the past and repeated it during the recent Ya dav family internal feud.

“Akhilesh doesn't realise Congress's cunning; Mulayam knew it well,“ Modi said.“Kya rajneeti itni gir gayi hai ki kursi ke moh mein iss prakaar ke kaand kiye jaayein? (Has politics fallen so low that such shenanigans should become the norm)?“ Modi asked. Recalling the incident, Modi said, “Fed up with Mulayam Singh's attacks when he was leader of the opposition in UP Vidhan Parishad, the Congress got shots fired at him on March 4, 1984, but he escaped. I want to tell Akhilesh that he should have remembered this before sitting in the lap of the Congress.“

The PM added, “A film is being played on the political stage of Uttar Pradesh in which the opponents, who had attacked each other with slogans such as `27 saal UP behal' and taken out `yatras' in the first half, have turned friends. It's copy of a Bolly wood masala film in which foes turn friends after interval.“

Modi not only kept Akhilesh in his crosshairs, but also asked the Congress to clear its stand on its relation with BSP.


Citing the first joint press conference of Akhilesh and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in Lucknow, Modi said, “When Akhilesh was asked about his stand on the BSP, he clearly mentioned his views.However, by stating that he respected the BSP chief, Rahul made it clear that the Congress is keeping its one leg tied with SP and the other with the BSP in the race for power. But, they should keep in mind that they can't defeat BJP, which is running on two legs.“

Reaching out to voters in Kannauj which falls in the Lok Sabha constituency rep resented by Akhilesh's wife Dimple Yadav, Modi praised the state unit of his party for in cluding a promise to fix minimum support price for potato, on ion and garlic in its poll manifesto.

“My government had announced 100% FDI in food process ing sector as it believes that farmers will start getting bet ter price for their produce on ly after proper processing,“ said Modi.

The Prime Minister mocked Akhilesh for 'failing' to fulfil his 2012 promise to bring processing units to Kannauj. He also targeted Rahul, saying “a leader, who does not know whether potatoes are grown in field or is manufactured in factory , should not talk about the issues of farmers“.

Modi alleged that the Samajwadi Party government did not use Central funds for providing cheaper foodgrain to the poor and feed the inmates of orphanages and shelter homes free of cost. “The Congress and Samajwadi Party recall the poor only at the time of elections,“ he charged.