This story is from April 4, 2019

Will double farmers’ income by 2022, says PM Narendra Modi

Will double farmers’ income by 2022, says PM Narendra Modi
Narendra Modi
GONDIA: Slamming the Congress party for coming up with a manifesto that would “help India’s enemies” and promote the “tukde-tukde gang”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asked the public at a rally in Gondia to teach the opposition a lesson in the Lok Sabha polls. He also promised to implement by 2022 — the 75th anniversary of Indian independence — his dream of doubling farmers’ income and providing affordable housing for everyone.
The Congress released its manifesto on Tuesday promising among other things to scrap the Sedition Law and reviewing the AFSPA.
Rahul Gandhi, who spoke on the occasion, is holding a rally in Nagpur on Thursday and in Chandrapur and Wardha on Friday. He is expected to come to Nagpur directly from Wayanad after filing nomination papers.
Saying that the opposition hated the name ‘Modi’ itself more than the work done by him, Modi said he will keep working towards his dream of doubling the income of farmers in the coming three years.
He highlighted how his government has already started giving Rs75,000 per year to some 12 crore farmers under the Kisan Samman Yojana while the Congress MPs could only call him the ‘chowkidar for rich people’ or the ‘chowkidar for toilets’.
With thousands standing outside the venue to hear him, Modi told the capacity crowd that India has not forgotten the 1965 war, “so Balakot will definitely be fresh in the mind”. He claimed the government had strongly replied to all attacks on India, but the Congress was hell bent on supporting those behind the acts of terror instead of acting against them.
“The Congress is planning to destabilize the country by creating confusion. Their manifesto is designed to tamper with national security,” he said. Calling the manifesto the plan of attack (yojana patra) for
Pakistan, and a conspiracy (saazish patra) for those who wanted to divide India, Modi said the document was an insult to martyrs.
Commenting on Maoists, who once held sway in the region around Gondia, Modi said their days are now numbered. “However, if the Congress is given a chance, the Maoists will definitely stand strong again,” he said.
Modi highlighted that the Congress manifesto would ensure that urban Naxalites will not face sedition charges. “This is like a licence to destroy India,” he said.
Taking potshots at former Union defence minister and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, whose senior aide Praful Patel holds sway in the constituency, Modi asked whether he agrees with the Congress manifesto from the standpoint of national security.
Later in the speech, Modi again said, “In Gondia, the BJP is fighting against a team whose captain (Praful Patel) has refused to play, while his vice captain (Nana Patole) is fighting against Nitin Gadkari in Nagpur to save his deposit.”
Modi also blamed the Congress for having left gaping holes in the treasury over the last 75 years. “I cannot do in five years what was not done in 75 years. But I have made many things possible in these five years. We had to start by filling in the holes in the treasury over the last five years,” he said.
Without mentioning any names or elaborating, Modi said Congress and NCP leaders have lost their sleep worried that someone currently lodged in Tihar jail would spill the beans.
NCP's national spokesperson Nawab Malik said the PM threatening to put opposition leaders in jail "means Modi is sensing the BJP's imminent defeat in Lok Sabha polls". "We are not afraid of such hollow threats," he added.
Earlier, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis too spoke for a few minutes. On his demand, the crowd flashed mobile torches showing support for the Balakot strike.
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