Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Navaratri accused the Congress of obstructing the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and disrespecting Lord Ram by declining an invitation to the 'pran pratishta' ceremony. It was the fourth election rally that he was addressing in Uttar Pradesh. Incidentally, Varun Gandhi, the sitting MP from Pilibhit, was conspicuous by his absence on the stage. His supporters had initially indicated that he would attend the PM's election rally.
The BJP has fielded a former Congress scion, Jitin Prasada, from the constituency. Jitin had won the Lok Sabha polls in 2004 on a Congress ticket from Shahjahanpur. In 2009, he won from Dhaurahara and was made Union Minister in the Congress government. Later, in 2021, he joined the BJP Jitin was on stage as was Santosh Gangwar,the MP from Bareilly who also has been denied a ticket this time. While Jitin confined himself to making adulatory noises, the Prime Minister dilated upon themes he has already dwelt on for about 38 minutes. Thereafter he went to Bareilly and took off for Chennai.
Addressing the rally, Modi criticized the Congress for being mired in appeasement politics, stating that they could never emerge from this quagmire. He condemned the Congress for its attempts to impede the construction of the Ram temple. Modi asserted that every Indian family had contributed to the temple's construction out of devotion, emphasizing the communal harmony displayed by the nation. "Just to appease a section of the society the Congress stayed away from Pran Pratishtha," Modi said.
In a tribute to former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh's dedication to the Ram temple cause, Modi praised Singh's unwavering commitment. Singh, a key figure in the Ram mandir agitation, served as Chief Minister during the demolition of the Babri mosque in 1992. He was jailed for a day too. He returned to his refrain on Muslim League and the connection he saw in the Congress Manifesto.
Modi praised India's pivotal role during the COVID-19 pandemic, where the nation emerged as a global provider of essential medicines. He reminisced about India's remarkable milestones, from its meteoric economic growth to Chandrayaan's historic feat of unfurling the tricolor on the lunar surface, evoking national pride.
Modi juxtaposed India's previous reliance on international assistance under the Congress government with its current stature as a beacon of self-reliance and innovation, epitomized by hosting the acclaimed G20 summit. He underscored the significance of a robust India, asserting that global recognition follows national strength. As UP readies for the first phase of Lok Sabha polls on April 19, Modi's hopes his address will resonate with constituents across eight parliamentary constituencies, including Saharanpur, Kairana, Muzaffarnagar, and Pilibhit.
