Bangalore: Modi says saffron waves rising in region, accuses Cong of curtailing freedom
Bangalore, Nov 16 (Agencies): "I can see saffron waves rising from across the region. What a delightful sight!" Narendra Modi said as he began his address at a rally in Bangalore today.
In his speech at Bangalore's sprawling Palace Grounds, Modi continued with his attack on the Congress, alleging that conspiracies were being hatched against him by the Centre.
"These days attacks on the BJP and Modi are sharpening. The sight today explains why. They simply cannot digest it," the 63-year-old leader said.
The BJP's prime ministerial candidate said the UPA government does not believe in democracy and freedom of expression and is trying to muzzle the social media network.
Modi said the government was planning restrictions on social media.
He pointed out the union information and broadcasting ministry had taken exception to TV channels for comparing the prime minister's Independence Day speech with his speech on the same day in Gujarat.
The ministry's "advisory" that the prime minister's Independence Day speech should not be compared with other speeches was more a "threat" to the media, Modi said.
This is the first rally of the Gujarat chief minister in Karnataka after his nomination as the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) prime ministerial candidate.
Modi said under the United Progressive Alliance-rule, "factories have been shut, jobs are not being created, there is no power generation".
On the declining value of the Indian rupee against foreign currencies, he said, "there is a race between the Congress and the rupee on which one will go down faster".
Modi said one of the reasons for the growing current account deficit (CAD) was that India's software exports have come down drastically during the UPA-rule, while comparing it with the BJP-led Nantional Democratic Aalliance headed by Atal Behari Vajpayee.
Modi also charged the UPA with neglecting IT, science, technology sectors while promoting "meat exports because of which India's cattle are being slaughtered".
He began the speech by greeting people of Karnataka in Kannada and congratulating C.N.R Rao and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar on being awarded Bharat Ratna.
Earlier, BJP president Rajnath Singh also said "unemployment and income disparity was growing" under the UPA rule.
He said the BJP stands for "uniting people" and "instilling confidence in minorities", while the Congress instills "sense of fear" in them.
State BJP president Pralhad Joshi presented a cheque for Rs.35 lakh to Modi for the construction of Sardar Patel statue planned in Gujarat.
The amount was collected from 350,000 party workers who paid Rs.10 each to attend the rally, Joshi said.
In his speech, Rajnath Singh attacked Congress president Sonia Gandhi for calling Modi a 'maut of saudagar' (merchant of death) during the 2004 general elections for his alleged role in failing to control the Gujarat riots of 2002.
Unprecedented security arrangements were made for the rally with hundreds of senior police officers and over 4000 policemen deployed. 80 CCTV cameras were installed at the venue.
Bangalore was plastered with Modi's pictures and life-size cutouts; the party had reportedly spent Rs 20 crores on the event.
Modi credits Vajpayee with IT revolution in India
Bangalore, Nov 17 (IANS): Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi Sunday credited former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee with bringing the IT revolution in India.
"In 2000, Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government brought the Information Technology (IT) Act for the first time in the country," Modi said addressing a rally here.
"Bengaluru's progress happened because a different IT ministry was created under Vajpayee-ji," Modi added.
The Gujarat chief minister also said the vision of two former prime ministers, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, can take the nation ahead.
"Lal Bahadur Shastri gave the slogan 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan' (hail youth, hail farmer)... Atal Bihari Vajpayee gave the slogan 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan' (hail youth, hail farmer, hail science)," he added.