Gorakhpur, Nov 4 Not “so-called princes” but “sons of the soil”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath would lead the country, BJP national president Nitin Nabin asserted, as he slammed the Opposition in a “pro-democracy” pitch here on Wednesday to counter its “vote chori” campaign alleging electoral irregularities.
Addressing an NDA coalition’s ‘Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao’ campaign in Gorakhpur amid the presence of alliance partners Nishad Party and RLD, Nabin accused opposition parties of making excuses for their electoral defeats and said today’s youth have rejected such political heirs.
Nabin trained his guns particularly at Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, whom he dubbed as a “part-time politician” active only during elections, unlike BJP workers who continued public service throughout the year.
He also slammed Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, calling them also “yuvraj”.
“Rahul Gandhi, Indian democracy is so powerful that however many ‘tathakathit Yuvraj’ (so-called princes) like you emerge, they will come and go. It is the sons of this soil, Modi and Adityanath, who will lead the country,” he said, claiming that the two leaders enjoyed the confidence of 140 crore people and had worked for their welfare.
Referring to the INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally in Delhi, he claimed that it failed to draw even 10 per cent of the crowd its organisers had projected.
In contrast, he said, the BJP and its NDA allies were holding large marches in districts and towns across the country, which, according to him, reflected the alliance’s strength and public support.
Nabin said Gandhi could “continue to spread lies”, but the country had changed under PM Modi.
He said 140 crore people regarded Modi as their PM and as a “chowkidar” protecting their homes, families and the country.
On the opposition’s allegations concerning the SIR exercise, Nabin said parties that had lost elections were blaming the revision instead of examining their own organisational weaknesses.
He asked why they had suffered electoral defeats before 2025 as well, when the current SIR exercise had not been conducted.
Nabin also referred to the Election Commission’s challenge to Gandhi to demonstrate alleged EVM manipulation at a venue of his choice, claiming that the Congress leader did not accept the challenge and left the field.
Referring to the Bihar elections, Nabin claimed that Gandhi had already left the political field after the publication of the electoral rolls.
He also targeted Tejashwi Yadav, referring to him as the “prince of Bihar”, and said young voters were rejecting such leaders.
The BJP chief questioned the opposition’s claim that around 13 crore names had been removed from electoral rolls. Citing figures during his address, he claimed that 2.5 crore entries related to deceased voters and around six crore to people who had shifted from their registered addresses.
He also claimed that over three crore people could not be contacted to verify their addresses.
He further alleged that around three crore “infiltrators” were in the voter list and accused opposition parties of trying to protect them for electoral gains.
Nabin also invoked Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s analogy of a student repeatedly making excuses for failing examinations to slam the opposition.
For Gandhi, whom Adityanath compared with a failed rocket launch, the BJP chief said “not only the rocket but even its launching pad was faulty, producing leaders who repeatedly failed to make an electoral impact”.
He also accused opposition leaders of questioning the Election Commission and alleging EVM manipulation instead of accepting electoral verdicts.
Accusing the Congress of failing to fulfil its promise of eradicating poverty, Nabin alleged that the party had instead kept poor people away from development. He contrasted its record with the work undertaken under Modi and Adityanath, claiming that both the country and UP were progressing under their leadership.
He accused the opposition of failing to learn from electoral defeats and resorting to what he described as crocodile tears and excuses.
Nabin accused the Congress and its allies of disrespecting the Constitution, alleging that the party had changed laws to nullify the Allahabad High Court’s verdict against Indira Gandhi’s election.
He also claimed the Nehru-Gandhi family had humiliated BR Ambedkar by working against his electoral victories, despite now invoking the Constitution to lecture others.
“Today, they go around carrying copies of the Constitution and lecture others on it,” he said.
Nabin accused Gandhi and Yadav of staying indoors during COVID-19 while BJP workers helped people. He also claimed they initially opposed the “Modi vaccine” but later took it, expressing confidence in voters rejecting the opposition.
Warning against attempts to destabilise the country, Nabin said, “India’s democracy is strong, its roots are deep, and your nefarious intentions will never succeed.”
He also questioned the opposition’s selective criticism of democracy, asking why it celebrated electoral victories in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka but questioned democratic institutions after defeats in Haryana, Maharashtra and Bihar.
Targeting Gandhi’s leadership, Nabin claimed Congress leaders were unhappy with his decisions but unable to challenge the Nehru-Gandhi family.
He remarked, “If Rahul Gandhi continues to lead in this manner, I would say congratulations to the Congress. A time will come when there will be nobody left even to take the party’s name.”
Accusing the opposition of challenging the people’s mandate, Nabin alleged that Gandhi was being used as part of a “foreign toolkit” to destabilise the country. He said more than 100 BJP-NDA marches had been organised across Uttar Pradesh to demonstrate public support for the alliance.
Nabin also questioned the opposition’s “moral authority” to criticise PM Modi, citing development work in Amethi and Kerala. He said Modi had served with dedication and commitment for 25 years, questioning the opposition’s “record” in challenging his leadership.
(PTI News)
