Modi slams Congress, says SC’s EVM ruling a ‘tight slap’ for oppn; Rahul Gandhi says PM is ‘nervous’

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (Apr 26) slammed the opposition for their condemnation of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and said that the Supreme Court judgement on cross-verification of votes was a "tight slap" on the Congress-led opposition.

Speaking at a rally in the Araria Lok Sabha constituency of Bihar, the PM also said that the opposition was trying to "steal" reservations meant for OBCs, SCs and STs "for the sake of their favourite vote bank of Muslims".

EVMs and tight slap

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Modi claimed that when the "Congress, the RJD and other INDIA bloc parties were in power, the poor, backwards and Dalits used to be deprived of their votes through booth capture."

This, he said, changed "with the introduction of Electronic Voting Machines."

"They are no longer able to play their old game. Hence, they committed the sin of creating distrust against EVMs," the PM said, adding that the Supreme Court's Friday (Apr 26) judgement rejecting pleas seeking cross-verification of votes cast through EVMs with VVPAT was a "tight slap" on the opposition.

"But today, the highest court of the country has delivered a verdict a few hours earlier which comes as a tight slap (karara tamacha) on these parties," he said.

'Stolen' reservation

Modi also accused the Congress party of stealing reservations from OBCs and transferring the benefits to Muslims in Karnataka.

As per PTI, he alleged that India's grand old party was trying to replicate the "controversy" in rest of the country, including in Bihar, where Congress ally RJD "has not spoken a word against" the move in Karnataka.

Modi said that as "an OBC myself, I know the hardships faced by the backward classes", and warned the people that, "in future, they (Congress) may loot reservations for SCs and STs as well".

Reiterating his earlier controversial statements about the Congress manifesto, Modi added that it bore "the imprint of Muslim League" and claimed that with it the party's "injustice towards Hindus stands exposed".

"I say poor people have the first claim on the country's resources. Congress, RJD and their allies say the first claim is of their vote bank. They want to steal your belongings, even mangalsutras of women," he added.

Further, referring to Sam Pitroda's remark on inheritance tax in the US he coined a slogan "Congress ki loot, zindagi ke saath bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi" (Congress' loot during life and after life) said: "The Congress people do not want you to bequeath your property to your children".

Modi is nervous, says Rahul Gandhi

Taking a jibe at Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said at a rally in Karnataka's Bijapur that the prime minister appears nervous during his speeches and might even shed tears.

"These days, Narendra Modi remains very nervous during his speeches. Maybe in a few days, he might shed tears on stage," he mocked.

Gandhi also alleged that "Narendra Modi has only snatched money from the poor in the last 10 years."

"He gave as much wealth to 22 people of the country as 70 crore people of the country have. - There are one per centsuch people in India who control 40 per cent of the wealth. Therefore, the Congress party will give you participation by eliminating unemployment and inflation. The amount of money that Narendra Modi has given to the billionaires, we will give that much money to the poor people of India,"he said.

The former Congress president asserted that his party's government had delivered on all its promises in Karnataka "due to which the people here are getting a lot of benefits."

"Narendra Modi makes some people billionaires. The Congress government will make crores of people lakhpatis," he added.

(With inputs from agencies)