BJP will transform Rajasthan, vows PM

New Delhi/Jaipur: Predicting that the BJP will form governments in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asserted that his party will make the desert state a leader in investments and industry while claiming that under the incumbent Congress government, the state has turned “number one in crime” and “number one in corruption.

As the campaigning ended for the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly elections scheduled for November 25, the Prime Minister reiterated that “where the hope from the Congress ends, Modi's guarantee begins”.

Sharpening his attack on the Ashok Gehlot-led government in Rajasthan, Mr Modi alleged that "be it water, the sky or land, the claws of the Congress do only one thing -- loot".

Addressing a poll rally in Rajsamand, Mr Modi once again raised the Sachin Pilot issue amidst the ongoing tussle between the former deputy CM and chief minister Ashok Gehlot. He said: "A Gurjar's son struggles to make his place in politics, gives his life to the party and after coming to power, the royal family removes him like a fly in milk."

"They did the same with late Rajesh Pilot and are doing the same with his son," he said, alleging that the Congress is "insulting" Gurjars now and had insulted the community in the past too.

Mr Pilot, who lost his state Congress chief post as well as deputy chief ministership for rebelling against Mr Gehlot, hit back at Mr Modi on Wednesday after he had made similar remarks.

Mr Modi had accused the Congress on Wednesday of punishing Mr Pilot, saying anyone who speaks the truth in the grand old party is shunted out of politics and suggesting that Rajesh Pilot lost favour with the Congress leadership after he contested against Sitaram Kesri for the party president's post in 1997.

Reacting to Mr Modi's comments, Mr Pilot said there is no need for anyone other than his party and the people to worry about him.

He said his father was a dedicated Congressman throughout his life and the Prime Minister's statements were far from the truth and aimed at diverting people's attention.

Mr Pilot is a Gurjar leader and the community had voted the Congress to power from eastern Rajasthan in 2018.

On the reaction of the Congress leaders to his statement, Mr Modi on Thursday said, "The Congress is not answering my real questions. It is lying with full force that the royal family of the Congress never insulted Rajesh Pilot. Answer the questions I raised."

He wondered how the Congress can deny that Mr Pilot was abused with words such as "gaddar, nakara and nikamma" (traitor, worthless).

Mr Modi said he had not seen the photo of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on the party's posters during his road show in Jaipur and alleged that the grand old party does not care about Dalits.

"On the Congress posters, Gehlotji is visible, people from the royal family are visible, but our Khargeji is not visible. Should the Congress behave like this with the son of a Dalit mother?" he asked the gathering.

Slamming the Congress, the Prime Minister said, "Rajasthan has never seen a more anti-women government than this. Therefore, the people of the state have resolved to overthrow the Congress government."

He alleged: "Be it water, the sky or land, the claws of the Congress do only one thing -- loot", adding that if the BJP is voted to power in the desert state, it will not stop the good work of the current government.

"When the Congress government was formed in Rajasthan five years ago, it banned all the good schemes of the (previous) BJP government. The BJP government that will be formed here on December 3 will not indulge in anti-people work like the Congress… For us, public welfare is supreme. Whoever is in the government, if it has done public welfare work in the true sense and there is something good in it, if it is useful for the country, then Modi is in favour of taking things forward. He does not work out of animosity and hence, whatever good happens in Rajasthan will also be taken forward. This is my assurance to you. But I will close the windows of corruption," he said.

Accusing the Congress of making Rajasthan riots infested, Mr Modi said the BJP will make the state a leader in tourism.

"The Congress made Rajasthan number one in crime. The BJP will make Rajasthan a leader in investments. The Congress made Rajasthan number one in corruption, the BJP will make Rajasthan a leader in industry," Mr Modi said.