Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot: Modi says Congress in need of oxygen, Mahagathbandhan will bring India to ICU if voted to power

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with over one crore BJP workers, volunteers and ‘karyakartas’ under the party’s ‘Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot’ programme on Thursday afternoon, in what the saffron unit called the “world’s largest video conference”. However, Opposition leaders, including Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and BSP chief Mayawati, criticised the timing of the conference, in light of the India-Pakistan hostilities . The BJP had earlier said one can send her or his question through the NaMo app to the prime minister or using #MeraBoothSabseMazboot on social media. Before taking questions, Modi briefly addressed the current India-Pakistan tension, saying it was “time to show resolve , support and faith in our armed forces”. [caption id=“attachment_6171151” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] PM Modi during the Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot conference. Twitter/@BJP4India[/caption] He then went on to ask all booth workers to reach out to supporters and explain the good work the saffron party has done. He also insisted that there should be “healthy competition” among booth workers to see who gets the maximum number of new voters, including young women and men. “Booth soldiers need to step up now. If you win your booth, if you win the hearts of people; you can work directly for the nation,” he said. Modi’s political engagement has come a day after Pakistan Air Force jets violated the Indian airspace over Rajouri in Kashmir on Wednesday. Later in the day, Pakistan had also released a video of an Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman it has in custody. In Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, Modi spoke about how there were some who wanted to have a ‘mazboor, not a mazboot’ government and directed workers to teach people about the benefits of a ‘mazboot’ administration. When asked about the party’s plans if it comes to power again, Modi explained that the BJP will try to fulfill peoples’ “aspirations” having already taken care of their “needs” in the past five years. “Before 2014, India had a government that was drowning in corruption. But we gave people the essentials that they had always wanted. Every Indian can see the difference. We want to make India the third largest economy of the world. Each citizen today wants to contribute towards India’s betterment,” he added. Down South, Modi greeted the gathering in Tamil before going ahead to take questions. He said that the BJP has “always worked” for all states and its people, irrespective of their religion and social strata. The prime minister went on to mention farmers’ distress in the JD(S)-Congress-ruled Karnataka. “We have formed a strong alliance in Tamil Nadu, and the BJP will have its biggest win in this state. In Kerala, too, people have come to see our party as the one that will protect their culture,” he added. Amid pro-Modi chants in West Bengal, the prime minister said he “salutes” workers in this eastern state who work under “immense difficulties”. He then went on to add how the Mahagathbandhan is but a ‘mahamilavat’. “The Congress is bringing all small parties together in order to revive itself. The Congress itself needs oxygen to breathe. If this Mahagathbandhan comes to power, the country will be brought to an ICU unit,” he said. In Assam again, he spoke about utilising social media to “connect, communicate and correct” people. Citing usefulness of the medium, Modi gave an example of how even a 90-year-old woman was once able to reiterate various government schemes because of social media usage. “If anyone is spreading lies, this is also the platform to bring her or him upfront. I appeal to all workers to spread only positive things via social media. We have to be aware of fake news,” he further said.