India rejecting Congress' feudal culture, dynasty, patronage politics: PM Modi in Puducherry

Puducherry [India], February 25 : Launching an attack on Congress that recently lost its majority in the Puducherry assembly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said people all over India are rejecting the Congress and the party's culture of "feudal politics, dynasty politics, patronage politics" is ending.
Addressing a public rally in Puducherry, the Prime Minister also took a swipe at former Chief Minister V Narayanasamy for wrong translation of a woman's complaint to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while he was in the Union Territory to launch the party's election campaign.
The PM said, "A few days ago the entire nation saw a video. A helpless woman was complaining about the Puducherry Government's neglect during cyclone and floods. One could see the pain in her eyes. One could hear the pain in her voice. Instead of telling the truth to the nation, the former Puducherry CM gave a wrong translation. He lied to the people and his own leader. Can a Party whose culture is based on lies ever serve the people?"
The Prime Minister said in 2016, Puducherry did not get a people's government, and instead, they got a government that was busy serving the 'Congress High Command' in Delhi.
"Their priorities were very different. Your former Chief Minister was an expert at lifting the slippers of his top party leaders. But, he did not have an interest in lifting people out of poverty. Puducherry deserves a Government whose high command is the people of Puducherry not a small group of Congress leaders sitting in Delhi. NDA assures Puducherry - the next government will be a people-powered government," PM Modi said.
"The 'High Command' Congress government in Puducherry made it a point to damage every sector of governance. Traditional mills closed. Local industry was troubled. Congress does not believe in working for the people. I understand that. But, what I cannot understand is - why Congress does not want others to work for the people. There was non-cooperation from the Congress government in Puducherry towards pro-people Central Schemes. Funds were not utilised. Schemes related to coastal development and fishermen welfare were not implemented," he added.
The PM said that Congress leaves no opportunity to call others anti-democratic, but, the party needs to look at itself in the mirror.
"They insult democracy in every possible way. In Puducherry, they have refused to hold Panchayat polls. The Supreme Court has said the polls should be held Yet, the Congress Government in Puducherry did not. The Congress culture you saw in Puducherry for five years is how the party works nationally," he stated.
Taking a veiled dig at Rahul Gandhi for his north and south politics remark, the PM said Congress, like colonial rulers, has a policy of divide and rule. "Congress has a policy of divide, lie and rule. Sometimes their leaders put region against region. Sometimes they put community against community. They are gold, silver and bronze medal winners in telling lies," he said.
He also slammed the Congress leader for his repeated "gaffe" about the need for the creation of Fisheries Ministry, and said, "Congress leaders come here and say - we will make a ministry for fishermen. I was shocked. The truth is: It is the current NDA Government that had made a ministry for fisheries in 2019."
The PM said that people all over India are rejecting Congress, and added, "for the first time in India's history, they have under hundred seats in the Parliament. The Congress culture of feudal politics, dynasty politics, patronage politics is ending."
Coming up with the acronym BEST, the Prime Minister said, "If you ask me to share my manifesto for Puducherry in a few words, I will say: I want Puducherry to be the Best. NDA wants to make Puducherry the best By best I mean--'B' for business hub, 'E' for education hub, 'S' for spiritual hub, 'T' for tourism hub."
"NDA's focus area will be to improve education infrastructure in Puducherry. India has got a National Education Policy in 2020. This policy will change the ways of learning. It also shifts focus to creating more centres of education. When you all vote this time, reject the anti-development forces. Support NDA's good governance agenda. Give Puducherry a Government that will restore its glory," he added.
"What I am seeing here today -- the energy and enthusiasm -- is wonderful. It shows how the direction of the wind is changing in Puducherry...Moments ago, a large number of development works were inaugurated. These development works cover roads, healthcare, education, culture, sport and marine economy. The impact of these works is going to be huge," said the Prime Minister.
He said there were two reasons for the 'great happiness' of the people of Puducherry, "First, there are many development works that have been inaugurated today. Second, the people of Puducherry are celebrating freedom from the misgovernance of Congress."