Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday alleged the Opposition is trying to divide society for votes at a time when India needs to be strong to deal with "serious challenges" the world faces.
The possible reference to the war in Ukraine came during a poll meeting during which Modi also said the BJP’s victory in the ongoing Uttar Pradesh election is necessary to ensure the state's journey on the path of development does not stop.
"The time is coming up with serious challenges for the whole world. So your vote is making India strong to deal with these challenges. On one hand, there are those who are busy dividing society for votes even at such times, while on the other side there are BJP and our allies who are devoting themselves wholeheartedly in the development of the country," he said.
Taking a jibe at the opposition, he said that dynasts who only try to fill their 'tijori' (vault) can never fulfill the dreams of the poor. He claimed that voting in the state so far has confirmed the victory of the BJP alliance.
In the sixth phase of polling being held on Thursday, votes are being cast in favour of the BJP, the prime minister told the meeting.
"The BJP's victory in the assembly elections is necessary because Uttar Pradesh is moving on the path of development and it should not stop now," Modi said. "We have to ensure that the victory of the BJP is as grand as it was in 2017."
Terming the previous Samajwadi Party government "mafiawadi" (those who help mafia elements), Modi said a BJP government was needed in the state to ensure Jaunpur is "mafia-free".
Attacking the previous Akhilesh Yadav government, the PM said, "Pariwarwadis' (dynasts) can never fulfill the dreams of the poor. The way of these 'mafiawadis' to run the government is to loot Uttar Pradesh and crush the dreams of the poor. They never see your pain, your trouble."
Referring to SP president Yadav, Modi said he used to send letters to the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister from Delhi, telling him time and again that the Indian government is giving money and “you can build houses for the poor".
But they didn't care about the life of the poor, the PM alleged
"They had only one job to do -- fill their vault from wherever they got chance. They knew that Modi will ask for the account of money he is sending from Delhi and they will be caught. So they did not worry about the poor," he said.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana only one house was sanctioned in Jaunpur when Yadav was in power in Uttar Pradesh, Modi said, adding that in 2017 when the BJP government came, 30,000 houses were sanctioned here and 15,000 of them have already been completed.
Referring to encephalitis, a deadly disease that used to spread in the Purvanchal (east UP) region, he alleged dynasts left the Purvanchal to suffer the havoc of encephalitis
But now a network of medical colleges is being created there, he said, adding the government taken "a very big decision" to reduce the fees for half of the seats in private medical colleges to bring them at par with that in government medical colleges.
"These dynasts had left the people of Purvanchal on their own. These people had tried their best to divide Uttar Pradesh on caste lines, but the people of the state understood their designs and stood unitedly today. The reason is clear --Niyat, Niti, Nishtha and Netritva' (intention, policy, loyalty and leadership)," he said.
The BJP's policy is that whatever schemes are made, they should reach every beneficiary and without middlemen.
He alleged that the people who are accused of burning the houses of Dalit families in Bhadethi village of Jaunpur are being blessed by the dynasts. "So the poor, downtrodden and backward classes need to be very careful with such people."
On the Covid pandemic, the PM said, "Our government stood with you sincerely during the pandemic. We sent money directly to the account of the poor. When the poor, Dalit and backward families needed ration, we also started the scheme of giving free ration to all."
He said that Covid vaccine was needed to protect everyone from coronavirus. "So, we started a free vaccination campaign."
Modi also attacked the Opposition on their stand on Covid vaccine.
"The people of UP can never forget these people who were involved in a conspiracy to defame India's vaccine. These people were working to make this crisis more serious. The people of the state have wiped them out in every phase of voting," he said.
