Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday appealed to people not to pay attention to rumors or panic over LPG supply disruption caused by the ongoing war in West Asia as he accused the Congress of making provocative statements and asserted that the government was committed to shifting Indians to safety. Track updates on the US-Iran war
In a series of events in poll-torn states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, Modi also praised the Union government’s achievements, accused the two state governments of corruption, and said the National Democratic Alliance would do well in the upcoming Assembly elections.
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The Prime Minister said: “I understand that you may be concerned about the prevailing situation in the Gulf and West Asia, especially regarding the safety of our citizens. You must remember that we have a government at the Center committed to taking Indians to safety… All our friendly countries are helping our citizens and we are indebted to them. But it is unfortunate that the Congress is playing politics. It is making provocative statements. It wants the situation to worsen so that it can laugh and mock Modi.” Kochi.
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“Even in wartime, the Congress and Left regimes are creating panic and fear. I urge people to remain alert,” he said.
Later in the day, in Tiruchirappalli, Modi urged that only verified information be released.
“I would like to appeal to the people, let us spread only correct and verified information… There is no need to panic or pay attention to rumours. In any situation, we have seen how our government always puts India’s interests above everything… We will handle every situation successfully,” he said.
In Kerala, Modi claimed credit for changing the state’s name to “Keralam”, and unveiled a slew of development projects in oil, railways and roads worth approx. $10,000 crore, and appealed to voters to choose the BJP-led NDA government instead of the recurring cycle of regimes of the Left Democratic Front and United Democratic Front.
“Changing the name of the state is a tribute to the sentiments of the people. The renaming is a tribute to the glorious history and tradition of the Malayalam language,” he said. In February, the Union Cabinet approved the proposal to rename the state as Keralam. The Kerala Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution in August 2023 to rename the state as ‘Keralam’ in all languages.
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Modi said that the country has not achieved the kind of progress and development it deserves despite abundant resources in culture, nature, technology and talent. “The LDF and the UDF think that their chance to come to power comes every five years. That is why they are not working for the development of the state. That is why the projects are stopping. It is important to break this pattern in Kerala. You have given the LDF and the UDF 70 years. Please give the BJP-led NDA five years. You will see glimpses of ‘Vikasita Keralam’. This is Modi’s guarantee,” he said.
“The names of the LDF and the United Democratic Front may differ, but they are partners in crime, corruption, sectarianism, halting development and destruction of industries. While the UDF relies on the Jamaat-e-Islami and wants to break peace in Kerala, the LDF has long-standing ties with the People’s Democratic Party whose leader has been involved in extremist acts. You must remain alert about both the forces,” he added.
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Modi said the Congress “prince”, referring to Rahul Gandhi, did not know that the youth of Kerala and across India were developing drones. “The Congress has no trust or faith in the youth of this country. The Congress party cannot fully realize the potential of the youth of Kerala,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Modi addressed the golden jubilee celebrations of the Akhila Kerala Dheevara Sabha, an outfit representing the fishing community in the state. He also conducted a road show from Marine Drive to JLN Stadium in Kochi.
In Tiruchirappalli, the Chief Minister criticized the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam rule in Tamil Nadu and said people want a government that works for every family, not just one family. “In DMK rule, everything begins and ends with one family… In 2021, the people of Tamil Nadu brought DMK to power; instead of taking it as a responsibility, they betrayed the mandate,” he said.
Moreover, just as all rivers go to the sea, all the corrupt money in the country goes to one family, he said.
He said the DMK was a model “notorious for its scientific corruption” and alleged that “Ministers may change, MLAs may change, but power remains with one dynasty only.”
Regarding the status of the international airport in Madurai, he said that the center has brought the world to the doorstep of the city. “The entire state of Tamil Nadu has decided to get rid of the DMK regime.”
With inputs from PTI
