PM Modi said the Congress party could not contain rising prices.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who accused the Congress this afternoon of "insulting Hindus" by fielding Rahul Gandhi from Kerala's Wayanad, warned people in the evening that if the opposition parties come to power, they would also cancel the government's zero tax benefit.
"You all need to be careful. If there's the slightest slip on April 11, if the opposition (mahamilavat) gets any chance, they will revoke our "zero tax" measure, loot everything," the Prime Minister said at an election meeting in Hyderabad.
The zero tax measure gives tax exemption to people earning upto Rs 5 lakh a month. Expected to benefit a huge section of people, it was one of the big ticket announcements of the people-friendly interim budget ahead of the national elections.
"We took the decision of zero tax up to 5,00,000 per annum income. Salaried class and small traders have been benefited," PM Modi said. "Today is April 1, the beginning of the new financial year. The interest exemption of Rs 5 lakh announced in the budget will come into effect," he added.
"For the middle class, the government has tried to give education loan, home loan, EMIs... Earlier, there was no scheme under which middle class families could easily build a home. The Congress could not contain rising prices," he said.
Compared to that, home loan interest rates now have dropped, and so have EMIs, he said. "The Pradhan Mantri Aawaas Yojana has enabled the middle class to have access to cheaper homes," the Prime Minister added.
"If on April 11 there is a mistake, if "mahamilavat" gets a chance in elections, they will take it all away," the Prime Minister added.
Earlier today, PM Modi said the Congress had branded "peace-loving Hindus" as terrorists and knew it would be punished by the community. This was why, party leaders are contesting from seats dominated by minorities, he said.