After Bofors, Modi now rakes up 1984 anti-Sikh riots to corner Congress

Chandigarh, May 07: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday intensified his attack on the Congress over national security and said the grand old party did not have a clear defence policy. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, meanwhile, continued her relentless attack on PM Modi, calling him a threat to 'freedom and democracy'.

Speaking on the UN imposed sanctions on terrorist Masood Azhar, Modi, in Fatehabad, Haryana, said Congress could not do it even after 5-6 years of trying to do it because they didn't have a clear policy on it.

"Can any country become a world leader without strengthening its defence policy? Has Congress or any other party spoken about this in any of their rallies? They won't tell because their past is such that they cannot speak on nation's defence. Before 2014, there were terror attacks but the weak Congress govt used to only give statements," Modi said.

Congress manifesto speaks of repealing the special powers given to the armed forces in J&K if it forms government after elections, the Prime Minister said. "It means Congress is talking about giving free run to those who throw stones and terrorists," he added.

Modi said after five phases of election, the Congress-led opposition has given up the fight and the "situation is clear" now that the BJP will form government at the Centre. He said with the blessings of the people, the BJP-led NDA formed the government in 2014 and in the past five years, India's stature has increased in the world.

"Now, the situation is quite clear, with the blessings of countrymen, when results will be out by May 23 evening, it will once again be 'Phir ek Bar (Modi government again)'," the prime minister said in a rally in Fatehabad.

"The Congress and their 'mahamilavati' allies have given up the fight, and their intention to form a 'kichdi aur majboor sarkar' in Delhi has fallen flat," Modi said. He alleged that the Congress has done "brashtachar ki kheti " and the proof is in Haryana and elsewhere.

Referring to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Modi said that the process of punishing the guilty Congress leaders had already been initiated by the BJP government. Prime Minister Modi said the Congress had made a leader accused in the 1984 riots the chief minister of a state after winning the assembly elections last year instead of ensuring that he was punished. The prime minister's swipe was aimed at Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath, who the BJP alleges, had a role to play in the riots.

Addressing a rally in West Bengal's Debra, Mamata Banerjee launched a blistering attack on PM Modi. She said Modi wants to change the history and geography of the country.

"There will be no freedom and democracy if we don't change Modi.He will change the history and geography of the country.There will be no elections in future.There is an emergency in the country and no one can speak freely," she said.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asked why Priyanka Gandhi does not campaign in states where there is a direct fight between the Congress and the BJP.

"She (Priyanka Gandhi) is wasting her time, why doesn't she campaign in Rajasthan and MP? She is doing rallies in UP against SP-BSP, she is doing rallies in Delhi against AAP. Both the brother and the sister are not going to those places where there is direct fight with BJP," ANI quoted Kejriwal as saying.