They call a terrorist like Osama as 'Ji': PM Modi's scathing attack on Congress, Samajwadi Party in UP

Hardoi (UP): As Uttar Pradesh went into the third phase of the polls on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a scathing attack targeting rival parties at an election rally in the state. Addressing the BJP rally in Hardoi, PM Modi said the people here have seen how the Samajwadi Party when in government gave a free hand to those using 'katta' (country-made pistols) and its cadres. The PM recalled the Ahmedabad bomb blasts and said some parties are sympathetic to such terrorists and accused the erstwhile Samajwadi Party government of seeking withdrawal of cases against those involved in terror attacks in the state.

"People of Hardoi have seen those days when these people had given a free hand to those using 'katta' and those in 'satta' (power)," he said. PM Modi recalled the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts which claimed 56 lives and left over 200 injured, and said some parties are sympathetic to such terrorists. The erstwhile Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh even sought to withdraw cases against several terrorists, he charged.

The Prime Minister alleged that in 2006 there was a bomb blast in Kashi. There was also a blast in the Sankat Mochan temple. The Cantt railway station there was also attacked. When the Samajwadi Party government came to power again in 2013, they decided to withdraw the cases against the accused. The court, however, did not allow the conspiracy of the Samajwadi Party government, he said. The Prime Minister said that in 2007 there were bomb blasts in the court premises of Lucknow, Ayodhya. In 2013, the Samajwadi government withdrew the case against a terrorist. But even in this case, the court did not allow the conspiracy of the socialist government to work and sentenced that terrorist to life imprisonment.

"You all know that when there is a terrorist attack, terrorism increases, then the poor, the middle class have to bear the maximum loss. When a terrorist attack happens, the life of ordinary human beings gets affected, business gets affected, tourism comes to a standstill. These people were exploding bombs and the Samajwadi Party government was not even allowing these terrorists to be prosecuted," he said.

He said that the attitude of the leaders of Samajwadi Party and Congress, has been even more dangerous. These people call a terrorist like Osama as 'Ji". These people shed tears on the elimination of terrorists in Batla House encounter.

|On February 18, a special court in Ahmedabad in Gujarat had sentenced to death 38 members of terror outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM) in the serial blasts case. The court also sentenced 11 other convicts to life imprisonment. The prime minister also targeted the rival parties over the politics of appeasement. "Those who used to stop our festivals owing to their politics of appeasement, they will get an answer from the people of Uttar Pradesh on March 10," he said.

Urging the people of Hardoi to support the BJP, the PM said, "People of Hardoi, of UP have made preparations to play Holi twice. First Holi will be played with BJP's bumper victory on 10th March. But if you want to play Holi on 10th March, you will have to make arrangements at polling booths." Results of the seven-phase assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will be announced on March 10.

Later the PM travelled to Unnao and further slammed the Samajwadi Party leaders. "Even after getting defeated in the first two phases, whenever these people (Samajwadi Party leaders) sleep, they watch dreams of coming into power. They were defeated in 2017, they will be defeated in 2022. People in UP will bring Yogi back," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Unnao.

(With Agency inputs)