Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Congress on Thursday of abusing General Bipin Rawat when he was alive and using his cut-outs now for votes. Addressing a rally in Uttarakhand's Srinagar ahead of the February 14 state Assembly polls, Modi said it is the same Congress that had asked for proof of surgical strikes against terror hideouts in Pakistan. He said a leader of the party had even called former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Rawat a "streetside hooligan".
Describing the Congress as a party with a single-minded pursuit for power, the prime minister said it can never understand the price of "sacrifices". "The responsibility of giving the Congress a fitting reply in the coming polls for showing disrespect to General Rawat and using his name politically rests on the shoulders of the people of Uttarakhand," he said.
Remembering late CDS Rawat, PM Modi said that the people of Uttarakhand have always protected the country like a vigilant watchdog. "Today, memories of such a brave son of Pauri Garhwal, General Bipin Rawat ji are making me emotional. He showed the country that the people of Uttarakhand do not only have courage like mountains but also have high thinking like the Himalayas," PM Modi said.
Prime Minister said Uttarakhand people can never forget the attitude of Congress leaders towards the Indian Army when they conducted surgical strikes on terrorist bases. "I remember some leaders (Congress) from Delhi also asked for proof," he added.
India's first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat died in a helicopter crash in December last year.
Modi said Congress governments in the past had pushed development activities backward and forced people to migrate in large numbers from the hills. He said the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Vision Document 2022 released on Wednesday will help make the decade that of Uttarakhand.
Also Read | UP Polls 2022: PM Modi, CM Yogi appeal voters to participate enthusiastically in polling
Also Read | Farm laws implemented for benefit of farmers', withdrawn in national interest: PM Modi
