PM Modi occasionally spoke in Odia, evoking applause from the audience (File)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday attacked the Congress, alleging that the party and its allies only focused on filling their coffers before 2014, when they were in power at the Centre.
PM Modi also charged the opposition leaders with making personal attacks on him as he worked for the 140 crore people of the country whom he considered his family.
Addressing a rally at Benapur in Jajpur district which is considered a stronghold of the ruling BJD, the prime minister said the central government wants Odisha to become the gateway for 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India).
"The massive development work taking place today could have been undertaken earlier also... But in the years before 2014, the entire focus of the Congress and its allies was only on filling their coffers," he said.
"Over the past 10 years, the BJP-led central government has made huge investments in Odisha. We want Odisha to become the gateway for Viksit Bharat," the PM asserted.
He also said that a permanent house, tap water and gas connection at home, which were once a dream for the poor, "is now becoming a reality".
"My slogan 'Mera Bharat, Mera Parivar' troubles the INDI Alliance leaders. So, they are making personal attacks. But the people across the country including poor, youths, farmers and others have started staying they belong to Modi Ka Parivar," he said.
PM Modi occasionally spoke in Odia, evoking applause from the audience.
Claiming that the opposition parties have a single-point agenda to remove him from office, the prime minister said: "My agenda is to make India the third largest economy in the world." "For them, the family is first while it is nation which is first for Modi," he said adding that 25 crore people have come out of poverty since 2014 when he came to power.
On the other hand, PM Modi alleged, the aim of the opposition leaders is to make their relatives rich.
Targeting the previous Congress governments, the prime minister said that when the poor sought help from the administration, it asked for guarantees for various services.
"They (Congress) demanded guarantees from everybody - for opening a bank account or taking a loan for business. However, after 2014, the son of a poor man came to power and became the Prime Minister. Now, Modi is the guarantee for the poor," he said.
He claimed that the people across the country have now reposed faith in the BJP-led government at the Centre because of the 'Modi ki guarantee'.
Because of this guarantee, he said the PM Surya Ghar Yojana (solar power scheme) has been launched.
By installing rooftop solar panels, consumers can get 300 units of free electricity and sell the surplus, he said adding that the farmers can also now generate solar power in their open fields.
Overwhelmed at the massive turnout at his public meeting which he described as the blessings of Lord Jagannath, PM Modi said it reflects the mood in the East and Odisha's resolve which is 'Ab Ki Baar, 400 Paar' (This time, NDA will get over 400 Lok Sabha seats).
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)