Will revive 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan' spirit, says Narendra Modi

BUXAR (BIHAR): Ruing over the condition of farmers and soldiers in the country, Narendra Modi hit out at the Congress for ignoring their plight and said if elected, he would revive the spirit of 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan' slogan given by former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.

"What is the condition of kisans (farmers) and jawans (soldiers) today?" the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate asked at an election rally here.

"The number of farmers committing suicide because of the faulty agriculture policy of the UPA is far more than soldiers killed in war and likewise number of jawans killed by terrorists are more than those dying in the battle ground," Modi claimed.

"While the widow of a beheaded soldier is sitting on dharna, the powers that be in Delhi are busy feeding biryani to the Pakistan President," he alleged.

Stating that farmers were suffering both during good as well as bad harvests, Modi slammed the Centre for allegedly selling surplus foodgrains to liquor manufacturers instead of giving it to the poor as advised by the Supreme Court.

Modi criticised his rival and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for not allowing progressive farmers from the state to participate in an international farm convention in Gujarat.

"Rivalry is common in politics, but it should not take the shape of enemity," he said in an apparent dig at Kumar.

Seeking to establish connect with locals, he said in days to come his relations with them would deepen as he was contesting from the neighbouring Varanasi seat.

Disgruntled veteran BJP leader Lal Muni Choubey, who withdrew his candidature as Independent from Buxar seat on a request from Modi shared the dais with him along with candidate Ashwani Kumar Choubey and leader of Opposition in state Assembly Nand Kishore Yadav.