Modi targets Congress on national security in last campaign speech for Haryana polls

Rewari (Haryana) [India], Oct 19 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday targeted Congress on the issue of national security, saying its successive governments had not properly met the needsof armed forces, had not been effective in tackling terrorism and had failed to fully integrate Jammu and Kashmir with India.
Addressing his last rally of Haryana election campaign in Rewari, Modi kept up the nationalistic pitch of the Bharatiya Janata Party and spoke at length on his government's efforts to strengthen national security .
He spoke of BJP-led government equipping the armed forces with bulletproof jackets, modern rifles, fighter plane Tejas and Rafale and advanced submarines and blamed earlier governments for neglecting the needs of the forces.
Modi said he had promised to provide a strong government in his speeches before the 2014 election.
"I had said then that India should have a government that can see eye-to-eye with the world. Today India can look everyone in the eye. Then I said to combat terrorism, there is need for strong government, strong leadership, strong army and strong country. Did we achieve this or not? "he asked.
Referring to the surgical strikes and aerial strikes, he said, "Earlier there used to be bomb blasts in the country, did they stop or not? Now terrorists are killed by entering their homes. Those who nurture terrorism are crying in front of the world. Earlier they wanted to scare us, now they are the ones who are afraid," he said.
He accused Congress of only being interested in gaining power and said it had failed to tackle separatism in the Valley.
He said after Independence, Pakistan sent people and snatched away part of our Kashmir. "It was because of Sardar Patel that rest of Kashmir was secured, " he said.
The Prime Minister said Kashmir had a strong Sufi tradition which was poisoned by separatists which led to exodus of four lakh Kashmiri Pandits.
"You did not choose me to keep my eyes shut on all these things. I will never, " he asserted.
He blamed Congress for not ensuring proper integration of Kashmir and said it had been used by the adversary to cause trouble.
Noting that Article 370 was a temporary provision, he said Congress did not remove it despite assurances. "But we have fulfilled our promise by abrogating Article 370," he said.
Demanding votes for a nationalist government, Modi said, " Those who opposed our decision ( on repealing 370) have come to Haryana to seek your votes. Will you not punish them?"
With the Ahirwal region sending a large proportion of youth to the Army, Modi noted that his government had implemented the much-awaited One Rank One Pension policy.
"I had promised about OROP. When I got the opportunity, I fulfilled that promise. The demand that was pending for 40 years was fulfilled as people gave me responsibility, " he said.
The prime minister also said his government had ensured construction of a national war memorial and a police memorial for martyrs, fulfilling long-pending demands.
He \ accused Congress government in Haryana of land scams and lauded the performance of Khattar government.
Modi said Rewari held a special significance for him as he addressed his first public rally here after being declared BJP's prime ministerial candidate. (ANI)