New Delhi/Kangra: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called the Congress a “sadi hui soch ka namuna (an example of a rotten thought process)” and “laughter club” as he asked people of Himachal Pradesh to throw out the state’s ruling party forever. The Prime Minister asked the Congress to introspect why the entire country is turning away from it.

The BJP recently named veteran leader P.K. Dhumal as its chief ministerial candidate against Congress’ nominee and current chief minister Virbhadra Singh for the November 9 polls.

Addressing two campaign rallies in the poll-bound state, Mr Modi attacked the ruling party saying that it has promised “zero tolerance” on corruption in its manifesto when its own chief minister is facing allegations of graft added that the Congress has become a “laughing club”.

The Prime Minister said that the time has come to rid “Devbhoomi (land of the gods)” of five “danavs (monsters)” — mining mafia, forest mafia, drug mafia, tender mafia and transfer mafia. He accused the Congress of allowing the growth of these “danavs”.

PM Narendra Modi, with CM candidate P.K. Dhumal and senior leader Shanta Kumar, at a rally in Kangra. (Photo: PTI)

Apparently referring to former home minister P. Chidambaram’s recent remarks supporting  greater autonomy for Kashmir, Mr Modi said that the country’s jawans have “sacrificed their lives for Kashmir, yet a Congress leader says that Kashmir’s demand for Azadi is valid. The Congress and its leaders have no right to insult our martyrs”.

Targeting Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for meeting the Chinese ambassador during the stand-off in Doklam earlier this year, Mr Modi said, “The leader whose father, grandmother and father of the grandmother were PMs of India, and who has born and brought up in the ruling family, is acting in an insulting way... Wasn’t it insulting when these people held talks with Chinese leaders on Doklam instead of asking the elected government?”

Mr Modi also talked about India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru with reference to the Jan Sangh, which he said was created to counter the Congress with the efforts of leaders like Shanta Kumar, a former Himachal chief minister, and a BJP leader.

“Pandit Nehru said they’d uproot and throw away the Jan Sangh during its early years,” Mr Modi said.

From a party of Mahatma Gandhi and freedom fighters, the Congress has become a party of corruption and dynasty politics, he said.

“Yeh Congress party sadi hui soch ka namoona hai. Hum jab Congress mukt bharat kehte hain, hum is sadi hui soch se mukt Bharat chahte hai (The party is an example of a rotten thought process. When we ask for a Congress-free India, we want an India free of this thinking),” said the Prime Minister.

He added that people across the country are engaged in Swachhta abhiyan (cleanliness campaign) and are “wiping out” the old party whenever they get the opportunity through elections.

Exhorting people to come out in large numbers on voting day, Mr Modi said, “I know we will win… I have worked in Himachal and know the pulse of the people of the hill state... You have the opportunity to dismiss those who looted the state by pushing the right button on November 9,” he said.