Congress made the nation hollow, now country punishing party for its sins: PM Modi says in Rajasthan

Jaipur, April 21: Launching a scathing attack on the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that the people of the country are punishing the grand old party for its sins as it made the nation hollow due to nepotism and corruption.

"The youth of the country is so angry that they do not want to see Congress again," PM Modi said while speaking at a rally in Rajasthan's Jalore.

The rally was organised to garner support for BJP's Lok Sabha candidate Lumbaram Choudhary, who was fielded against former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's son Vaibhav Gehlot.

"Today, the Congress is unable to find candidates. Now they have turned opportunists and formed the INDIA bloc. But their kite had been cut off even before it could fly in the sky. The alliance is just for namesake as its members can be seen fighting among themselves," PM Modi said.

In this Lok Sabha election, PM Modi said, there are around 25 per cent of such seats where the allies can be seen being in disagreements with each other.

"If so much fighting is going on before the elections among these allies, you can imagine how much more fighting will be done for the loot after the elections. Can we hand over the country to such people?" he wondered while addressing the gathering.

Continuing his attack on the Congress, PM Modi said "Though the party ruled the country for 60 years, it made our mothers and sisters yearn for basic facilities like toilets, gas, electricity, water, bank accounts, etc.

"Can the Congress party and its clan, which is a symbol of instability, run the country? The Congress itself is responsible for its condition today," PM Modi said, while also taking a jibe at former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi without taking their names.

PM Modi said the Congress never had the intent of helping farmers, and also did not make efforts to make people get water in the state of Rajasthan.

An example of this, he said, is the Salgaon Dam Project.

"This project was sanctioned four-and-a-half decades ago when the Congress was in power everywhere but it was never completed. Had this dam been constructed on time, it would have cost less than Rs 30 lakh. Today, its cost has reached Rs 250 crore. Now, the BJP government is trying to complete it fast," PM Modi said.

Referring to the incomplete projects he had worked on in Gujarat when he was the chief minister there, PM Modi said: "Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation of Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada river in Gujarat. However, Congress kept it hanging in balance. It was Modi who came and completed it. When I was the Chief Minister, I sat on a fast when the Manmohan Singh-led government was in power at the Centre. I then introduced the Sujalam Sufalam Scheme there. I am happy to note that due to our efforts, today the water of the Narmada river reached over 1,000 villages of Barmer and Jalore districts."

"For the first time in history, a programme like Jal Jeevan Mission is running in the country. In just 5 years, more than 11 crore new families in the country have been provided tap water. But it is regrettable that during this period, the Congress government in Rajasthan also committed 'water scam'. Now, (Rajasthan Chief Minister) Bhajan Lal Sharma-led government is investigating the scam. We are also working to provide tap water to every household," PM Modi said.

PM Modi further said: "Modi has a guarantee... my resolution is to realise your dream. Each moment of my life is in your name and in the name of the country."