Election 2019: PM Modi tears into Gandhi family, flays dynastic rule

Narendra Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a blistering attack on the Nehru-Gandhi family, accusing it of running "dynastic rule under the disguise of democracy for 55 years since the country's Independence" and urged people to re-elect the BJP government that has made many "impossible possible" in the last five years.

Without naming the family, Modi said the dynasty politics practiced by them "strangulated the aspirations of the youth, destroyed the dreams of the poor and poisoned the atmosphere of brotherhood with communalism."

"Dynasty ruled the nation in the disguise of democracy. There was dynastic rule in India for 55 out of 72 years since its Independence. Democracy has prevailed for 15-16 years at most.

"It is a big question that why is this country not placed among the top nations in the world in spite of having no dearth of talent, innovation and hard work," Modi said while addressing a rally at the Brigade Parade Ground here on Wednesday.

"The dynastic rule of 55 years throttled the youth forces in the country. Corruption strangulated the hard work, it destroyed the dream of the poor by doing vote bank politics. It polluted the atmosphere of brotherhood with the poison of communalism and diminished the valour of the army," he said.

Taking a dig at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, Modi said that Bengal, which once showed the way to the entire nation, was now suffering under the pressure of the dynastic rule of "aunt and nephew".

"Bengal is also suffering under the pressure of dynastic rule. Aunt and nephew are together looting the resources of Bengal and doing injustice to the people," the Prime Minister said.

Giving an account of the significant achievements of his government in the last five years, Modi said the current regime has proved that it has the will power to make all the "impossible possible".

"Starting from surgical strike, air strike or the strike on the space satellite, India is doing things that we only dreamt of five years ago. Did anybody ever think of getting income tax exemption on annual income of up to Rs 5 lakh or 10 per cent reservation for the poor," he asked.

"Did anyone think that corruption charges on the family that considers themselves to be the destiny makers of India could be probed? But now the whole family is on bail because impossible is now possible," Modi said, taking a veiled dig at the Gandhi family.

Ridiculing Mamata Banerjee's mega anti-BJP rally in Brigade on January 19 where leaders of 23 opposition parties came on one stage as a "function", Modi said people from different states came together with the agenda of ousting him.

"They all came here with one agenda -- Modi hatao (oust Modi). What crime have I committed? If providing homes, toilets, LPG connections, electricity and free treatment are crimes, then I have committed them," Modi said.

"The people of Bengal have made up their minds that neither extortion nor hooliganism will be allowed here anymore. Now me and you will together build such a Bengal which will be free from the hooliganism of the Left and the Trinamool Congress," the Prime Minister added.

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