Prime Minister Narendra Modi being felicitated during a public meeting for the Maharashtra Assembly elections, in Nanded (Pic credit: ANI) AKOLA/NANDED: PM Narendra Modi Saturday accused Congress of running Pakistan's agenda by pushing for restoration of Article 370 in J&K, which the BJP-led Centre nullified in 2019, and cited a recent resolution moved in J&K assembly by the grand old party's ally, National Conference, to prove his allegation. Addressing poll rallies in Maharashtra's Akola and Nanded, he said that only Pakistan, Congress and anti-India forces were unhapppy with the removal of Article 370, an action which brought peace and progress to Kashmir. "We buried Article 370 forever to bring justice and rights to Kashmir's Dalit community for the first time in 75 years," Modi said.
He criticised Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and particularly Congress for turning the states governed by it into "ATMs for the party's royal family". The PM claimed that Congress-governed states like Himachal Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka became "money spinning machines" for the party. He cited recent reports that Rs 700 crore was allegedly extorted from liquor vendors in Karnataka, adding: "Imagine, if they're looting during elections, how much will they loot if they win?" The PM warned voters that if Congress and its allies gained power, Maharashtra might face similar levels of corruption.
While Modi trained his guns on Congress, he refrained from directly attacking Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Uddhav T.