Lucknow, November 8
BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi today alleged that the Central Bureau of Investigation was being misused and terror outfit Indian Mujahideen had been given a “free hand” to settle political scores with him. Modi accused the Congress of attacking him “from behind like a coward” after it could not defeat him in Gujarat.

He also targeted the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party and accused them of being partners in the game plan.

Addressing the Vijay Shankhnaad rally at Bahriach in the Awadh region, Modi urged the voters to strengthen the BJP as Uttar Pradesh alone could provide political stability to the country.

He attacked the Congress-led UPA government’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for issuing an advisory to the media last week questioning their simultaneous telecast of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Modi’s speech on August 15.

He claimed the advisory had been issued at this juncture because his October 27 rally in Patna was shown by the media while the one addressed by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi at the same time did not get the same coverage.

He wondered why he was the target of their (Congress’) wrath when in fact it had ruled the country for almost 60 years and owed the country many answers.

“Let alone the nation, they (Congress) did not do anything for Uttar Pradesh, which has given eight prime ministers and a string of great leaders… Had UP progressed during this time, the country would not have been so poor,” he said.

The region is the citadel of the Congress in the state as its hold nine of the 16 Lok Sabha seats from Awadh, while the BJP has just one.

Modi did not spare the regional parties either, charging the SP and BSP with competing in corruption and criminals in their respective parties and not bringing development to the state.

He said both parties were supporting the Central Government but had never asked for anything for the people of the state as they only wanted protection from the CBI.

“While one (BSP) cared for elephants, the other (SP) is fond of lions,” he said referring the Akhilesh Yadav’s dream project of a lion safari in Etawah.