Narendra Modi addresses a rally in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich. (PTI)
and Rahul Gandhi brought to their election rallies in different states today a conspiracy theory each.
In Uttar Pradesh, Mr Modi, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, made a scathing attack on the Congress alleging it could not fight him and his party democratically and so was using the CBI and even terror group Indian Mujahideen as political tools. "One by one, the way incidents are taking place, it appears that those who could not defeat Modi in Gujarat, who were beaten badly in three elections and lost face who feel BJP and Modi cannot be stopped through democratic means... they are now using other means - of sometimes putting CBI after them, and at other times giving a free hand to Indian Mujahideen," he said at a rally in Bahraich, where a massive security ring was thrown around the venue in view of the serial blasts that killed six people just before his rally in Patna, Bihar, two weeks ago. (
Highlights of Modi's speech)
Such terror attacks, Mr Modi said, would not scare him away.
His comments came barely an hour after the Congress number 2 Rahul Gandhi had said in election-bound Chhattisgarh, ruled by the BJP, "Nand Kumar Patel was going to be CM. There were going to be no hurdles. The only way to stop him was kill him. He was your voice. Not just him, but you were killed, your voice was killed."
Mr Modi, who has been addressing a series of rallies in Uttar Pradesh, said, "If UP decides, India can get political stability."
In the national elections due May, the BJP hopes to stage a comeback in UP, which sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha. Bahraich is crucial to that plan; the BJP had won only one of the 17 Lok Sabha seats in this area in 2009, coming in fourth with a tally of 10 in a four-cornered contest in UP, which has 80 seats.
In his speech, Mr Modi offered lacerating criticism for each of the parties that placed ahead of his the last election. "You have given them a chance again and again. Have they done anything for you?" referring to Congress A-listers like president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi who are Lok Sabha MPs from UP.
He accused the BSP and Samajwadi Party, which have in turns ruled UP for many years now, of neglecting the people of the state in their attempt to keep the Congress happy. "They have such power over the minority central government that they could have demanded trains and an airport for Bahraich. But they ask for help in CBI cases."
Mr Modi, who as presumptive PM will seek potential political allies, had praise for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who he said fought with the Centre for her state. "What have Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati done for you?" he asked.