Modi calls Antony, Kejriwal Pakistan agents, says Congress rattled

Jammu/New Delhi/Bulandshahar, March 26 (IANS) Traversing across three states and over 700 km, BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi Wednesday launched a sharp attack against both the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, calling leaders from both parties "Pakistan's agents". Arvind Kejriwal said Modi's comments did not suit a prime ministerial candidate.

The Bharatiya Janata Party leader started his day offering prayers at the Vaishno Devi shrine before he went for a rally at Hira Nagar, Kathua, in Jammu and Kashmir, the first stop of his "Bharat Vijay Rally".

Kathua is a Hindu dominated district in Jammu along the working boundary with Pakistan.

His next rally was at Bulandshahar in Uttar Pradesh, which has nearly 40 percent Muslim population.

For his last rally of the day, Modi chose Seelampur, a Muslim-majority neighbourhood in northeast Delhi, primarily inhabited by people of the lower middle class.

The BJP leader started his rallies with a strong attack on both the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, when in Hira Nagar he went to the extent of calling Defence Minister A.K. Antony and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party "Pakistan's agents".

Modi said there were three AK's which were posing serious threat to the country.

"These are AK-47 used by terrorists who shed Indian blood through these weapons. Then there is A.K. Antony, the defence minister, who says Indian soldiers were beheaded by people wearing uniforms of the Pakistan Army when the (Indian) army said clearly the soldiers were beheaded by Pakistani armymen."

"The latest in AK threats is AK-49," Modi said, taking a dig at the AAP led by Kejriwal, who was the chief minister of Delhi for 49 days.

"In his map, Kashmir is in Pakistan. A senior member of his party is going hoarse demanding plebiscite in Kashmir. Pakistan is dancing over their statements," Modi said.

Modi's comments came a day after Kejriwal declared he will be fighting against the BJP's prime ministerial candidate in Varanasi.

"These agents of Pakistan, enemies of India, they are speaking the language of Pakistan," he said as the gathering loudly cheered.

In Bulandshahar, Modi alleged that the opposition parties were rattled at the growing acceptance of the BJP across the country, and were now chanting the "secularism raga" to stop him.

"Whenever I say let us talk about development and other serious issues, these parties say first discuss secularism," he said, taking a jibe at the Congress plank of secularism.

Comparing Uttar Pradesh to Gujarat, he said: "Only five percent of Muslims are employed in Uttar Pradesh while 16 percent of Muslims were employed in Gujarat in last one decade."

In Delhi, Modi slammed the AAP for betraying people's mandate and called Kejriwal a "Congress agent" and cautioned people against voting for him and his party.

"There is no place for betrayers in politics. People can forgive mistakes but not betrayal. Based on their experiences, people of Delhi should decide who should form the next government," he said.

"AAP first formed government with Congress, then resigned and handed over the government to Congress through the Lt. Governor. They only want to help Congress and are least bothered about the country," he said.

This was perhaps the most vocal attack against Kejriwal by Modi. So far, the jibes of the BJP's prime ministerial candidates have been largely focused on Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.

Kejriwal reacted to Modi's jibe, saying it did not suit a prime ministerial candidate.

"He should focus on issues and not get into bad mouthing," Kejriwal told reporters in Varanasi.