PhD in putting brakes on development: PM’s big attack on Congress and allies

Prime Minister Narendra Modi mounted a fierce attack on the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition during a rally in poll-bound Maharashtra on Tuesday, accusing them of being the “biggest players of corruption” and stalling development in the state.
Addressing an election rally in Chimur, a town in the Chandrapur district, PM Modi said the MVA — a coalition of Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and the Congress — is detrimental to Maharashtra’s growth.
“People of Chandrapur have been demanding rail connectivity for years, but Congress and Aghadi did not let that happen,” he said as he campaigned for the BJP, which is allied with the state’s ruling Mahayuti government.
“The rapid development of Maharashtra is beyond the reach of Aghadi,” PM Modi added. “They have only done a PhD in putting a brake on developmental works… And Congress is a double PhD in it… ‘Aghadi yani Bhrastrachar ke sab se bade khiladi’ (Aghadi means the biggest players of corruption)… ‘Aghadi yani khiladi.’”

PM Modi assured the people that the BJP’s poll manifesto will become a ‘Vikas Ki Guarantee’ (development guarantee) for Maharashtra in the next five years.
Along with the ruling Mahayuti, the NDA government at the Centre means double engine government in Maharashtra, which means double speed of development, he said.
The Prime Minister also hit out at Congress and the Gandhi family, which he claimed has a history of elitism and exclusion. “It has always been the mentality of Congress’ shahi parivar that it was born to rule the country,” PM Modi said.
He further alleged that after Independence, Congress had stymied the progress of marginalised communities. “Congress never allowed Dalits, backward classes, and Adivasis to progress,” he stated.
Referencing an old Congress advertisement from when Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister, PM Modi argued that it reflected the party’s “anti-reservation” attitude.
Maharashtra voters will cast their ballots in a single-phase election on November 20 for the 288-seat Assembly, with results set to be announced on November 23.