Bihar Elections: Opposition insulting nation by demanding Article 370 return, says PM Modi

Patna, Oct 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday slammed the opposition for its demand of restoring Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, accusing them of siding with those conspiring to weaken India.

"NDA govt abrogated Article 370. These people say they will bring it back if they come to power. After saying this they dare to ask for votes from Bihar. Is this not an insult of Bihar? The state which sends its sons and daughters to the borders to protect the country," PM Modi said.

He asserted that India will not back off from the decisions it has taken.

Modi began his first Bihar poll rally here by paying tributes to LJP founder Ram Vilas Paswan and former RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh who passed away recently.

Even before the polls, people of Bihar have given their message and all surveys show that the NDA government will retain power in the state, he said.

People in the state have decided that those who have a history of making Bihar ''Bimaru'' will not be allowed to return, Modi said in a swipe at the RJD-led opposition.

''BIMARU'' is an acronym for Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. It was used to refer to the ''poor economic conditions'' of these states.

Referring to the Galwan Valley clash with Chinese troops, the Prime Minister said the sons of Bihar laid down their lives for the tricolour, but did not let ''Mother'' India's head bow.

The soldiers of Bihar were also martyred in the Pulwama attack, he said.

Modi also hit out at the Opposition for protesting farm laws and accused them of siding with middlemen.

The Bihar assembly election is being conducted in three phases and the first phase of polling will take place on October 28.