`Tribal community would not forget the insult, would teach a lesson to Congress`: PM Modi in Gujarat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Gujarat, his home state, for a two-day visit, where Assembly elections are scheduled for the end of December.

Vyara: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday accused the Congress of making fun of tribal traditions and culture, and added that people from the community would not forget the "insult" and they would "teach a lesson" to the party. Addressing a rally after inaugurating and laying foundation stones for various projects at Vyara in the tribal-dominated Tapi district of Gujarat, he also alleged that the previous Congress governments never took steps to improve the condition of tribal people as they just focused on winning elections. He said the welfare of tribals by providing them pucca houses with electricity and gas connections, road connectivity, and schools for the children from the community, among other things, was the top priority of his government.

Since Wednesday, Modi has been on a two-day visit to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Gujarat, his home state, where Assembly elections are due by December end. He said the country currently has a tribal daughter as its president in Droupadi Murmu and a tribal son Mangubhai Patel as the governor of Madhya Pradesh. "You have seen earlier governments. Compare Congress governments of the past with the present BJP-led governments in different states. Congress governments never thought about your future and they would just work for winning elections. Before the polls, they used to make false promises, but after elections, they would forget them," he said.

On the other hand, the BJP government has given top priority to the development of the tribal community of the country, he asserted. "I tell you that your forefathers faced a lot of difficulties, but due to our work you are facing fewer difficulties now. Now, we want to ensure that your children do not have to face such difficulties in future," he said during his address to the tribal people. "Congress even used to make fun of tribal customs and traditions. If at any function I wore a tribal pagdi (headgear) or jacket, they used to make fun of me. I want to tell the Congress party that the tribal population will not forget the insult of their customs and traditions and they will teach you a lesson," Modi said.