Maharashtra message ‘ek hai toh safe hai’: PM Modi

Saying that the Maharashtra verdict was a vote for stability and development, he said the Opposition INDIA bloc did not understand that the people’s thought process had changed. “They don’t want to accept the truth and they underestimate the intelligence of voters. The voters don’t want instability, they want nation-first… they don’t like those who dream of kursi-first,” he said.

In a post on X earlier in the day, Modi said: “Development wins! Good governance wins! United we will soar even higher!”

In his speech, the PM said Maharashtra’s voters sent the message that only one Constitution — “the Constitution of Babasaheb Ambedkar” — can exist in the country. “Whoever wants two Constitutions in India will be rejected. The Congress and its friends tried to re-erect the wall of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. Maharashtra told them this won’t work. No power in the world can now bring 370 back,” he said.

Modi said Maharashtra had punished the Congress, which had “destroyed” true secularism and social justice. “The Congress has destroyed social justice. There was a time when its leaders, including Indiraji, spoke against casteism. But today, the Congress family is spreading the poison of casteism in their hunger for power. One family is so hungry for power that it has consumed the party. There are still old-style Congressmen who are searching for the old Congress. But they can see this isn’t the old Congress. That is why there is dissatisfaction within the Congress,” he said.

Accusing the Congress of damaging the secular spirit of the Constitution, he said: “The Congress family destroyed it in the name of a false secularism that was actually appeasement. This is the family’s betrayal of the Constitution. The Congress made laws for appeasement.”

Ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament which begins from Monday, the PM cited the example of the Waqf board, which triggered a debate in Parliament recently. “Such was the situation that in 2014… these people gave many properties around Delhi to the Waqf board. There is no place for the Waqf law in our Constitution. Yet, the Congress created the Waqf board to increase its vote bank. The Congress served the death sentence on true secularism,” he said.

Saying that the Congress remained in the grip of one family, Modi asked whether the family thought all other partymen were incapable. “Such is the situation that no dedicated Congress worker can work there. The priority of the party is just the family, not the country. The Congress family can’t live without power. They can do anything for power. They abuse the north in the south and vice versa, and abuse the country abroad. And they are so arrogant that they don’t respect anyone. They lie each day,” he said.

Modi said the “urban naxalism” of the Congress was a threat, as their “remote control is abroad”, and asked people to understand it and be careful.

Noting that Maharashtra is an important growth engine for India, Modi said the mandate would become a foundation for Viksit Bharat. He said the victories registered in cities like Mumbai showed that urban areas want world-class infrastructure and only trust the NDA to deliver it. The PM also praised Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar for the victory.

Calling the Congress duplicitous, Modi said that while one faction of the Shiv Sena had joined hands with it for power — referring to Uddhav Thackeray — the Congress had not praised Balasaheb Thackeray even once. He said the party also regularly abused Veer Savarkar in the past.

Modi also invoked Shivaji, Sambhaji, Jyotiba Phule, Savitribai Phule, Ambedkar and V D Savarakar, adding that the BJP believes in both vikas (development) and virasat (heritage). He underlined that his government had given Marathi the status of a classical language, adding that the Congress never did so when in power.

Modi also thanked the voters of Jharkhand — where the BJP lost the elections. “I also bow before the voters of Jharkhand. We will work hard for the development of Jharkhand,” he said.

He said his government would work hard to make India the third largest economy of the world soon.