Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Opposition Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, accusing its leaders of wanting to bring back the era of “jungle raaj” that, according to him, breeds crime, extortion and misrule. Addressing a rally in Aurangabad ahead of the phase 2 of the Bihar Assembly elections, PM said the people of Bihar do not want a ‘katta sarkar’ but a government that ensures development and investment. The Prime Minister also claimed that the record voter turnout in the first phase showed the people’s trust in the “track record of Narendra and Nitish.”
Prime Minister Modi alleged that the leaders of the ‘jungle raaj’ were encouraging children to become rangdaars (gangsters) and would bring back the lawlessness of the past if voted to power. “They are already talking about turning children into rangdaars. They are openly declaring that if their leader’s government comes to power, there will be katta (guns), dunaali (double-barrel rifles), firauti (extortion), and rangdaari (ransom),all of it will return,” he said. “Bihar doesn’t want a government of guns. Bihar doesn’t want a government of misrule,” he added.
Continuing his offensive, PM remarked that “the people of Jungle Raj have everything which is harmful for investments and jobs,” warning voters to remain vigilant. “Bihar doesn’t need a katta or bad governance. The NDA will make Bihar developed. Bihar has faith in the NDA’s honest manifesto,” the Prime Minister said.
Targeting the Opposition alliance further, PM mocked the Congress for contesting on seats where the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) “has not won in the last 35-40 years.” He also took a swipe at RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, claiming that the INDIA bloc’s chief ministerial face had been “stolen by the RJD at gunpoint.”
PM Modi hailed the record 64.66 per cent turnout in the first phase of the polls as evidence of people’s faith in the NDA. “Never before in the history of Bihar has there been such a high polling percentage. Much of the credit goes to mothers and sisters who turned up in large numbers. It is evident they trust the track record of Narendra-Nitish,” he said.