Mumbai
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday promised to give Mumbai its rightful due, guaranteeing development and security for the city, which has neglected by opposition parties for decades.
Modi said he has a 10-year report card and a 25-year action plan to make India a developed country by 2047. In contrast, the India alliance is a divided house with different leaders, different slogans and several stakeholders for Prime Minister’s post. He also said Congress’s “Maoist” economic policies will bring ruin to the country.
This was Modi’s second visit to Mumbai in as many days. In 2014 and 2019, the metropolis had voted in favour of the saffron alliance, with Sena and BJP winning all six seats. The BJP is keen to ensure a repeat, as it targets 400 seats in Parliament.
The iconic Shivaji Park was the venue for Modi’s rally, which saw attendance from alliance partners. The ground saw the foundation of Shiv Sena and is a home for its annual Dussera rallies.
The Prime Minister shared the dais with Uddhav Thackeray’s cousin Raj Thackeray, whose Maharashtra Navnirman Sena is backing BJP in the elections.
While Raj refrained from attacking his elder cousin Uddhav, instead seeking central support for Marathi language and state’s forts, Modi sharpened his attack on India alliance. He targeted Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena for joining hands with Congress, which has abused Veer Savarkar and betrayed ideology of Sena founder Bal Thackeray.
He criticised successive Congress governments for taking the country back by five decades, while his tenure has seen India emerge as fifth-largest economy in the world.
Modi has made possible what naysayers said was impossible; he cited the example of Ram Mandir, scrapping of article 370 of constitution, and 33 per cent women’s reservation, among others.
There was a time when people of Mumbai weren’t sure whether they would safely return home, Modi said, referring to spate of terror attacks while urging residents to vote the party to power.