Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued his vehement criticism of the INDIA bloc on Friday, asserting that the opposition alliance's "balloon" has burst and that it has lost voter appeal.
Speaking at a Lok Sabha election rally in Jalandhar—his third in Punjab this election season—Modi noted that five phases of voting have already occurred across the country, with the sixth phase set for Saturday, for which campaigning has concluded.
Earlier, Modi addressed a rally in Gurdaspur district, having previously held his first Lok Sabha election rally in Punjab in Patiala on Thursday.
"Their balloon has burst," Modi declared, emphasizing that neither the Congress nor the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) can attract votes.
"If you stand on a chowk in Jalandhar and ask 100 people whose government is going to be formed, 90 will say Modi's government will return," he remarked. He added that when people have decided to re-elect his government, voting for any other party would be seen as a mistake.
Reflecting on the past decade, Modi highlighted that his tenure has ushered in a new era for the country, resolving numerous issues that plagued people during Congress rule. He noted that while terrorism was once a growing threat, his government has significantly weakened it.
"The country understands that where there is the Congress, problems will remain. Where there is the BJP, there are solutions. That is why the entire country is saying in one voice -- on June 4?" he asked, prompting the crowd to respond with "400 paar" (more than 400 seats for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the ongoing polls).
Modi accused the Congress of treating Punjab, the land of gurus, merely as a piece of land and of dividing the state in 1947 to empower a single family.
"Kartapur Sahib is close to our border, but the Congress handed it to Pakistan," he said, referencing the partition of the country.
Under BJP rule, 25 crore people have been lifted out of poverty, Modi claimed, contrasting this with the economic crisis during the Congress era. He also noted that India has now become the world's fifth-largest economy for the first time.
