Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday accused the Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) of planning to demolish the Ram temple if they come to power, urging them to learn from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on the appropriate use of bulldozers. Addressing rallies in Uttar Pradesh, Modi confidently predicted his government’s return with a resounding victory in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, mocking the Congress’s ambition of winning just 50 seats as a bid to “save its honour.”
During his campaign stops in Barabanki, Fatehpur, and Hamirpur, Modi criticized the opposition INDIA bloc, alleging plans to grant significant reservation benefits to their “vote bank”—a term he used for Muslims—at the expense of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes. He accused the opposition of creating instability and collapsing “like a pack of cards” as the elections progressed. Modi targeted the Congress and SP over the Ayodhya temple issue, claiming they intended to overturn the Supreme Court’s decision and return Ram Lalla to a tent.
Modi emphasized that the opposition prioritized their vote bank over everything else. He accused the SP and Congress of succumbing to appeasement and claimed that even their vote bank was beginning to see the truth. Highlighting the BJP’s achievements, he noted the support from women for the triple talaq law and condemned the opposition’s attempts to introduce religious quotas, referencing the Congress’s actions in Karnataka.
In Hamirpur, Modi warned against the SP and Congress, accusing them of planning to redistribute wealth to Muslims in exchange for votes. He criticized the opposition’s stance on Article 370 and mocked their position on Pakistan, asserting that Pakistan’s nuclear threats were hollow due to their lack of funds. Modi boasted of the BJP’s infrastructural achievements, including the defense corridor in Bundelkhand and the Ken-Betwa river link project worth ₹40,000 crore.
Modi highlighted Uttar Pradesh’s leadership in expressways, airports, and metro cities, as well as welfare schemes for the poor. He claimed that the BJP had already secured victory in the first four phases of the election, leaving the INDIA bloc demoralized and their workers disheartened. As the election campaign heats up, Modi’s rhetoric underscores the high stakes and deep divisions characterizing this pivotal contest.
