"Laapata model, scams, corruption": PM Modi goes all guns blazing against Congress in Madhya Pradesh

Guna (Madhya Pradesh) [India], November 8 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday went all guns blazing against the main opposition Congress in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, saying that the grand old party followed a "Laapata" model, in which development was missing, when it ruled the state.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's star campaigner addressed election rallies in Guna, Damoh and Morena ahead of the November 17 Assembly elections.
He also accused Congress of playing with national security and said that it did its first scam of independence India in defence.
Addressing an election rally at Guna, PM Modi said, "The Congress followed and implemented a 'Laapata model' when they were in power in Madhya Pradesh. From water supply and development to electricity and employment, everything was missing here during the Congress rule."
PM Modi said, "The welfare of the farmers was 'Laapata' (missing) during the Congress rule. Before 2014, the Congress government procured less wheat, paddy, pulses and oilseeds from farmers, almost amounting to tokenism. They made tall claims but fulfilled none of their promises."
He also asked the sizeable turnout if he should be "afraid" of the Congress after they said they would approach the Election Commission (EC) to lodge a complaint against him.
"The Congress announced that they will go to the Election Commission and file a complaint against Modi for extending the free ration scheme by another 5 years. Should I be afraid of them?" PM Modi asked.
"I want to tell them that you can go to any court in the world to stop me but I will take such decisions in the interest of the public. Let the people be my judge," he declared.
Addressing another rally at Damoh on Wednesday, PM Modi said the people need to be aware of the Congress as it robs people's money and indulges in scams.
Claiming that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is being "remote-controlled", he added, "We not be aware of the Congress. They are a party that robs the poor of their money, indulges in scams, and splits society for votes. For Congress, the development of a state or the country isn't paramount. Their president is controlled by a remote. He can't do much. When the remote works, he abuses Sanatan (Dharma). Yesterday, when the remote wasn't functioning, he said there are five Pandavas in the BJP. We are proud to be following in the footsteps of the Pandavas."
Addressing a campaign meeting at Thatipur in Gwalior earlier, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge termed the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Income Tax (IT), Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as the 'panch pandavas' of the BJP.
"But these are not the Pandavas from the Mahabharata. They are the ones that need to be defeated," Kharge said.
Continuing his attack on Congress, PM Narendra Modi said the grand old party came to power in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, but their CMs betrayed the mandates by indulging in 'satta' (betting) and generating black money.
"In Chhattisgarh, there is betting and in Rajasthan, there is a 'red diary' of misdeeds of Congress. The Congress means 'barbaadi ki guarantee'. In Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, Congress made a series of false promises. The party knows that the youth of MP don't trust them due to their track record of corruption. In 2018, they promised a waiver of farmers' loans but they didn't receive a penny in five years," he added.
When we (BJP) formed a government (at the Centre) in 2014, I punctured all the tires of Congress' corrupt machinery. We created a 'trishakti' of Aadhaar, bank accounts and mobile that the Congress's corrupt machine could not handle," he added.
"Our guarantee is not to loot the country's treasures and resources but take our motherland forward. Our guarantee is not about votes but making the countrymen more capable," he said.
He added that for its achievements on the ground and space, India is being applauded everywhere.
"Today, our country's achievements are being hailed by the whole world. Our Chandrayaan-3 reached where no one had gone before. The G20 summit, which we hosted under our presidency of the grouping, is still being talked about by one and all. I will continue my crusade against corruption with your blessings," he said.
Later, at his Morena rally, the Prime Minister said that after India's Independence, Congress did its first scam in the defence sector and they never wanted India to be self-reliant in the defence sector.
Accusing Congress of playing with national security, PM Modi said, "After independence, the first scam in the country with which Congress started its scams was associated with defence itself," while addressing a public rally in Morena ahead of the November 17 Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh.
PM Modi said that the Congress government had kept the Indian Army dependent on foreign weapons and deprived soldiers deployed on the border of better facilities.
"Terrorists used to decapitate our soldiers but Congress did not do anything. But today's India is the new India. Today Indian Army gives befitting reply to the terrorists in their own language," he added.
The Prime Minister said that while the previous Congress government earmarked just Rs 500 crore for the implementation of 'One Rank One Pension', his own-led government has given Rs 70,000 crore to ex-servicemen under the scheme.
"Congress did not listen to our soldiers for four decades. The soldiers who served the country with the courage to sacrifice everything were upset with the attitude of the party. By earmarking only Rs 500 crore, Congress lied to our soldiers about One Rank One Pension," PM Modi said.
OROP means soldiers of the same rank and the same length of service get the same pension, irrespective of their retirement date.
"(But) Modi had guaranteed the implementation of OROP. We implemented it. (And) under the One Rank One Pension scheme for defence forces, Rs 70,000 crore is given to ex-servicemen," PM Modi said.
During his address, he said that ever since BJP's double-engine government has been formed in Madhya Pradesh, the development of the poll-bound state is getting new energy.
The Prime Minister said that before 2014 when Congress was at the Centre, the grand old party used to create obstacles for the development of BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh.
"In the 10-12 years before 2014, BJP was in power here (madhya Pradesh), but, it was Congress led government in Delhi. Then they created obstacles in the development of Madhya Pradesh," he said.
Hitting out at Congress leaders Kamal Nath and Digvijay Singh, he said that these are the two faces who made Madhya Pradesh a BIMARU (category) state.
"Today such a big election is going on in Madhya Pradesh and Congress people are busy tearing clothes among themselves. These are the same faces who have run the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh. If Madhya Pradesh got the status of a BIMARU state, then these are the people (responsible). These are the people who ruined Madhya Pradesh, hence they must be punished," the BJP's star campaigner added.
Madhya Pradesh will poll in a single phase on November 17 and the counting of votes will take place on December 3. .