Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a sharp attack on Congress while addressing a rally in Akola on Saturday, ahead of the Maharashtra assembly election. PM Narendra Modi accused the Congress of exploiting states under its governance as financial sources, stating, “Wherever a Congress government is formed, that state becomes the ATM (Automated Teller Machine) of the party’s ‘shahi parivar’ (royal family). We won’t let Maharashtra become the ATM of the Congress.”

Modi also criticised the Congress’s approach to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s legacy, challenging the party to prove its commitment to Ambedkar’s contributions. 

“I challenge the shahi parivar of the Congress to prove if they ever visited Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s panchteerth,” Modi said. He used the term “panchteerth” to reference Ambedkar’s birthplace in Mhow, his residence in London, Deeksha Bhoomi in Nagpur where he embraced Buddhism, Mahaparinirvan Sthal in Delhi, and Chaitya Bhoomi in Mumbai.

In an appeal for unity, Modi cited Haryana’s approach against the Congress’s alleged divisive tactics: “People of Haryana foiled the conspiracy of the Congress by following the ‘Ek hai to safe hai’ (we are safe if we are united) mantra.” 

He further claimed, “The Congress knows that it will be strengthened only if the country is weakened. The policy of that party is to pit one caste against the other.”

Modi also criticised the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance in Maharashtra, describing it as synonymous with “corruption and scams of thousands of crores of rupees”. 

He emphasised the government’s achievements, stating, “In my first two terms as the PM, I have given four crore pucca houses to the poor.”

In his appeal to Maharashtra voters, Modi said, “I have come to seek your blessings for the BJP-led Mahayuti (grand alliance) in the Maharashtra assembly elections.” He reflected on the significance of November 9, referencing the 2019 Supreme Court verdict on the Ram Temple: “This date of November 9 will also be remembered because after the decision of the Supreme Court, people of every religion showed great sensitivity.”

Modi concluded by thanking Maharashtra for its ongoing support of the BJP, attributing this to the people’s “patriotism, political understanding, and vision.”