Addressing the ‘Vijay Shankhnaad Maha Rally’ in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, on the afternoon of 2nd March, 2014, Shri Narendra Modi spoke of various significant issues including the misgovernance of the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh and the Central government’s practice of votebank politics, pursued by its tainted ministers.
Stating his displeasure and deep concern over the Central government’s functioning, Shri Modi spoke of how most ministers in the Cabinet at the Centre were tainted with either a coal scam or a corruption case. “There is a limit to shamelessness. I was waiting for the Minister to say that his buffaloes getting lost is a threat to secularism. I am waiting for him to say this,” remarked Shri Modi.
Stating forth how the Congress, SP and BSP parties only focused on the aspect of secularism instead of addressing the other burning issues of poverty, unemployment and corruption, Shri Modi said, “To hide their failures they are hiding under the garb of secularism and misleading others.” He added how secularism for the Congress was merely a slogan while for the BJP it was an article of faith, and how secularism was about votebank politics for the Congress even as it was about ‘India first’ for the BJP.
Condemning the UP Government’s approach, Shri Modi made a scathing attack at Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav’s recent speech wherein he doubted Shri Modi’s abilities. “Today Netaji accepted defeat in his speech. He said don't compete on getting people in rallies. This means he's accepted defeat in the matter of drawing crowds and thereby their support. Secondly, I have always believed in development over votebank politics. Thankfully Netaji had to leave votebank politics and talk on development. Netaji, there is reservation in electricity here. Your area gets power but others don't. There is lawlessness under your nose. Women are not safe in UP. On what basis do you talk on ‘development’, said Shri Modi, while also speaking on the recent incident in Kanpur wherein students were hit by the police forces. “The nation won't accept Goondaism anymore. Netaji, let me not talk much about your working,” added Shri Modi. He further requested the Shri Mulayam Singh to stop taking Shri Ram Manohar Lohia’s name in his speeches, as the appalling condition of UP would have only saddened Shri Lohia.
Shri Modi gave a fitting reply to Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav on Gujarat's development, contrasting it with the lack of development in UP under SP, BSP and Congress. “There are two groups in SP now. One is Samajvirodhi Party and the other is Sukhwadi Party. They're only enjoying themselves,” said Shri Modi.
Shri Modi reminded the people of the inherent economic strength of Uttar Pradesh from Benaras Silks to Kanpur’s Leather. Enumerating every city for its small and medium businesses Shri Modi criticized UP’s regional parties for having failed to take these industries global to grow the economy and create jobs. “We have the Kite industry in Gujarat wherein Muslim families are involved. We have made it a booming sector with our focused development-oriented approach, and today it's above Rs. 500 crore. You make tall claims but are unable to embrace the path of development. That too when UP has so much potential,” remarked Shri Modi.
Acknowledging the massive presence of supporters at each of the 8 BJP rallies organized in the State, Shri Modi said that it indicated a wave which would turn into a tsunami after the declaration of results. And he added that, after this, the trilogy of SABKA would get erased. “SABKA vinash tai hai - SP, BSP and Congress. They will be uprooted,” said Shri Modi.
Empathizing with the farmers who had suffered losses owing to the recent rain and hailstorm in Uttar Pradesh, Shri Modi said, “These losses are not theirs alone. We are with the farmers who suffered losses.” He appealed to the BJP workers to reach out to the affected farmers, understand their problems and to fight for their rights with the local government while extending maximum help. Shri Modi also conveyed best wishes to the students of class X and XII who were preparing for their soon-to-begin exams.
Shri Modi spoke highly of the ‘adab’ and ‘tehzeeb’ of Uttar Pradesh and stated how those in the power wanted to destroy this distinctiveness of UP. Shri Modi acknowledged Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji’s affection towards UP, and affirmed that for India to prosper, development of Uttar Pradesh was a must. “Atal ji said the road too Delhi is from Lucknow. India will be Samrudh when we sow seeds of Samrudh Uttar Pradesh. Else it's not possible,” stated Shri Modi.
Shri Modi recalled his early days as the son of a tea-seller and how the Bharatiya Janata Party with its strength and democratic values had made it possible for him to become the Prime Ministerial candidate. He urged the people of Uttar Pradesh to vote for the BJP in 2014 elections and show their support for development politics, even as he stated that the coming decade belonged to the oppressed, the backward, the marginalized and the Dalits.
Addressing the rally, BJP President and a former CM of UP Shri Rajnath Singh spoke of how, inspite of all the vilification Shri Narendra Modi had witnessed in the past decade, he still had emerged as the most favoured Prime Ministerial candidate. Shri Rajnath Singh further stated that the people of Uttar Pradesh felt cheated seeing the work of the SP government, even as he highlighted how pioneering initiatives were taken for the farmers of UP when Shri Rajnath was the Chief Minister of UP. “The Congress government is surviving due to the SP and BSP support. They are looting the nation,” said Shri Rajnath Singh, even as he spoke of the laxity put forth by the Central government in the Nation’s security. Recalling the BJP’s victory in UP in 1977, Shri Rajnath Singh urged the people to vote for the BJP by giving them all 80 seats of UP.
Speaking on the occasion, General V K Singh stated that the time had come to destroy all such forces that were divisive in nature, and urged the crowd to be determined to vote and bring the BJP to power. He questioned the Central government’s claims of doing welfare of the armed forces, and asked the crowd not to believe such misleading claims.
Former UP CM Shri Kalyan Singh termed the Third Front as the failed front, and stated how these parties lacked the agenda of development of the country, while Shri Kalraj Mishra spoke of the burning issues of communal violence and dismal law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh and called for the need to address the same at the earliest.
Former HRD Minister Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi spoke of the various scams under the Congress government and called for the need to bring about a change by voting for the BJP.
Other dignitaries who were present on the occasion included Shrimati Uma Bharti, Dr. Udit Raj, Shri Kalyan Singh, Shri Lalji Tandon, Shri Kesrinath Tripathi and Shri Hukum Singh.
