"They have accepted defeat, remarks on small parties aimed at LoP status": PM Modi takes dig at Pawar's comments

Chatra (Jharkhand) [India], May 11 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday took a veiled dig at INDIA bloc parties over purported remarks of NCP leader Sharad Pawar over the possibility of some regional parties merging with the Congress later and said such comment has been made so that these parties can claim status of Leader of Opposition (LoP) after the Lok Sabha polls.
Addressing a huge rally here, PM Modi said that Congress and its allies have accepted defeat after three phases of Lok Sabha polls.
"The comment made by a big leader from the INDI alliance, it has been given after deep thought and has arisen due to deep disappointment. He said that after the polls, smaller parties should merge with the Congress. After the trends of the third phase of Lok Sabha polls, why did he say so. Because they have got to know that Congress and its allies....together will not have the number of seats required to get Leader of Opposition status (in Lok Sabha). If they come together, their alliance may get that status," he said.
With his remarks leading to a lot of speculation, Sharad Pawar, who is chief of Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), said he did not speak about his party's merger with the Congress but how the two parties have worked together.
Hitting out at the opposition parties and leaders, PM Modi said that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are not just to form the government but to save the country from those who indulge in corruption.
"The 2024 election is not just an election to form a government. This election is an election to build the country. This election is a choice to secure the future of your children," he said.
Referring to the Jharkhand cash haul, the Prime Minister said, "You saw how mountains of notes were being found from JMM and Congress camps. Even machines had to be brought from banks to count the notes."
"JMM and Congress have only one agenda: neither will they work nor will they let others work and there will be no work without money. This is their game. They themselves do nothing except commit corruption and are busy stopping the work done by Modi," he added.
Sanjiv Lal, PS to Jharkhand minister Alamgir Alam, and his domestic help, Jahangir Alam, were arrested by the ED after the raids and subsequent recovery of Rs 35.23 crore in cash from their premises in Ranchi. Steel trunks filled with recovered cash were taken away from Alamgir Alam's residence in Ranchi on Monday night.
He accused the Congress of trying to snatch away the reservations of tribals, Dalits and other backward castes (OBC) and give them to Muslims.
"Congress wants to snatch away the reservations of tribals, Dalits and OBCs. Congress wants to rob your reservation and give it to Muslims. They want to make reservations based on religion," PM Modi said.
The voting for Lok Sabha polls in Jharkhand will be held in four phases, from May 13 to June 1.
The elections for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held from April 19 to June 1, with the counting of votes scheduled for June 4. (ANI)