Prime Minister Modi was in full form in the Meerut rally. He related the increased security of the nation with surgical strikes and the recently conducted anti-satellite weapon test. He also took a jibe on the alliance of regional UP parties – SP, RLD, and BSP and made the word SaRaB from the initials of their names.
Modi kick-started his campaign by referring the surgical strikes. “Zameen ho, aasmaan ho ya phir antariskh, surgical strike ka saahas aapke is chowkidar ne dikhaya hai (This chowkidar has shown the courage to carry out surgical strike, be it on land, in the sky or space),” said PM Modi. He later targeted previous regimes at the Centre. He said that the governments in the past believed in slogans instead of “taking right decisions” to ensure safety and security of the nation. “Nation has seen many governments that gave slogans but it has for the first time seen a government that takes prompt decisions,” he said.
On Opposition’s demand for evidence of Air-Strike, he turned to the public for their opinion. “Do we need sapoot (obedient son) or saboot (evidence),” said PM Modi responding to the Opposition.
On the report card of the government, he assured the public that he would present his government’s report card in the coming days while fixing accountability of the rival parties. He said, “I will give an account of my work but at the same time seek an account from my opponents. Sabka hisab hoga, baari baari se hoga, tabhi to hisab barabar hoga (Everyone will be accounted for, one by one, only then justice will be served).”
On Grand Alliance of the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Lok Dal and the Bahujan Samaj Party, PM formulated an acronym “SaRaB” (picking the initial letters of the three parties) and translating it as liquor. Modi said, “Stay away from ‘SaRaB’ in the election for the good health of Uttar Pradesh.”
The rally was aimed at galvanizing the BJP’s support base in the entire western Uttar Pradesh. As usual, he took all the credit of the hard work done by the armed forces and DRDO. The Western UP will vote in the first phase of the Lok Sabha Polls. The constituencies of Meerut, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar and Bijnor will vote in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 11. Uttar Pradesh will vote in all seven phases of the national election that ends on May 19. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.