Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the Mahagathbandhan during his campaign rallies in Bihar, accusing them of insulting the state’s culture and misleading the people with false promises. Addressing a massive public gathering in Nawada, PM Modi criticised Rahul Gandhi for calling the BJP’s Chhath Puja celebrations a “drama,” and highlighted the NDA government’s commitment to the welfare of farmers and smallholders.
“RJD and Congress members call the worship of Chhathi Maiya a gimmick, a drama. These people have no idea about the power of Surya Dev,” the Prime Minister said. “Our government is generating electricity from the energy of Surya Dev. Those who have come from Delhi and other cities to enjoy the election season should go and see the floating solar plant in Nawada,” he added, invoking the solar project as a symbol of the NDA’s commitment to renewable energy and development.
Turning the focus back to development, PM Modi reiterated the NDA’s promise to provide an additional ₹3,000 to Bihar’s farmers on top of the ₹6,000 given annually under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, taking the total benefit to ₹9,000 under the proposed Kapurgari Thakur Kisan Samman Nidhi. “The governments after independence did not prioritise small farmers. But this is Modi – jinhe koi nahi poochhta, Modi unhe poojta hai (Modi worships those whom no one else cares about),” he said to loud applause.
Highlighting the government’s direct benefit transfer system, PM Modi said ₹650 crore had been credited to the bank accounts of 2 lakh farmers in Nawada alone. “The money now reaches farmers without any cut or commission. If there was the jungle raj, they would have filled their own pockets. Congress’ PM once said if Re 1 is sent from Delhi, only 15 paisa reaches the village – what was this ‘panja’ that turned one rupee into fifteen paisa?” he said, referring to the Congress party’s symbol.
The Prime Minister also took a dig at the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), reiterating his “jungle raj” charge and describing the previous RJD regimes as synonymous with “katta (guns), cruelty, bitterness, bad governance, and corruption.” He accused the Mahagathbandhan of destroying Magadh’s pride and dividing society through violence and extortion. “If someone’s salary increased in Bihar, he would get worried because it meant paying more extortion to the RJD,” he said.
In a symbolic moment, PM Modi asked the crowd to switch on their mobile phone torches and quipped, “When you have such a bright light in your palms, who needs the lantern?” — an apparent jibe at the RJD’s election symbol.
The Prime Minister also cited the NDA government’s achievements in transforming Bihar’s agriculture and fisheries sector. Referring to the recently announced Bihar Dairy Mission, he said, “There was a time when Bihar imported fish from other states. Today, Bihar sells fish to others. This transformation is the result of NDA’s policies.”
Expressing confidence in the NDA’s victory, PM Modi said the massive turnout and enthusiasm reflected the people’s desire for continuity and good governance. “The enthusiasm I see among the youth tells me one thing – phir ek baar NDA sarkar, Bihar mein phirse Sushasan Sarkar,” he declared.
(With ANI inputs)