"Country Would Have Been 5 Decades Ahead From Now Had Congress...": PM Modi

Taking a swipe at the Congress party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that had the party been dissolved on the suggestion of Mahatma Gandhi, India would have been five decades ahead from what it is now.

He said that the Congress party made the poor people feel as if "they were born to live in poverty", adding that the Modi government was able to take 25 crore people out of poverty in the last 10 years.

Addressing the public meeting in Mumbai, PM Modi said, "Earlier, there were governments that did not trust the capabilities of Indians...I have seen Prime Ministers who called Indians lazy from the Red Fort...PMs with such a mentality cannot develop India. Under the guidance of Gandhiji, if the Congress had been dissolved after independence, the country would have been 5 decades ahead from now."

Attacking the Opposition further, he said that many considered the Ram Temple in Ayodhya as "impossible", but the struggle of 500 years was finally realized.

"Some people say that what Modi says is impossible. It is difficult to instill hope in people who are drowned in hopelessness. Everything is impossible for them. These are the same people who thought that the Ram Temple was impossible. The world has to accept that the people of India were so strong with their thoughts that they kept struggling for 500 years, for one dream...As a result, Ram Lalla is Virajman in a grand temple," the Prime Minister said.

He also took a jibe at the Congress party over its "non-fulfillment" of the promise of eradicating poverty.

"Congress kept saying for 60 years that they will eradicate poverty... In their 20-25-minute speech from the Red Fort, the Prime ministers of this family only spoke on poverty...They made poor people feel as if they were born to live in poverty, it seemed impossible to eradicate people from poverty. In 10 years, Modi brought 25 crore people out of poverty. What seemed impossible, became possible," PM Modi added.

He also heavily against the manifesto of the Congress party and said that if the "Maoist manifesto" is implemented, the country will go bankrupt.

"On one hand, Modi has a report card of 10 years and a roadmap for the next 25 years. On the other hand, you have INDI Alliance: Where there are as many parties that many promises, as many PM candidates as many parties," PM Modi said.

"If the Maoist manifesto of the Congress party is implemented, the country will become bankrupt," he added.

Attacking Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT), Prime Minister Modi said that he allied with the party that abused Ram Mandir and whose leaders were partying after the Mumbai attacks.

"The fake Shiv Sena has betrayed the sacrifices of Bala Saheb and Shiv Sainiks. For power... he went along with those who abused the Ram Mandir. For power... he went away with the people who were partying after the Mumbai attacks. The Congress which abuses Veer Savarkar day and night, today he has gone and sat in his lap," Prime Minister Modi said.

He added, "I challenge them to make Rahul Gandhi say that he will not abuse Veer Savarkar...they can't because as soon as the elections are over, he (Rahul Gandhi) will again start abusing Veer Savarkar."

Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra are being held in five phases: April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, and May 20. 13 constituencies including the six seats in Mumbai are among the ones that will vote on May 20. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.

The state, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest contributor to the lower house of Parliament after Uttar Pradesh. Known for its political diversity and significant electoral influence, Maharashtra plays a crucial role in shaping national politics.

In the 2019 elections, the BJP emerged as the largest party with 23 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena with 18 seats.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)