Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the 2024 Lok Sabha election is between “stability” and “instability”. On the one side is BJP-NDA, known for big and decisive decisions, and on the other side, the Congress and INDI alliance which believe in enjoying themselves, wherever they get into power, he said.

Addressing a large BJP election rally in Chandrapur, Maharashtra he said Chandrapur is the only region in the country which had sent wood for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya; and the region’s wood is also used in the new Parliament Building.

The Prime Minister said the INDI alliance, wherever it came to power, has thrown that region into instability. How much a region needs a stable government is known to Maharashtra well. The Congress always ignored Maharashtra whenever it came to power.

The Congress believed in commissions and even stopped schemes, including Mumbai Metro, if there were no commissions, he said.

The Congress ignored areas inhabited by Dalits and the poor, he said. There were no schools, and amenities like drinking water. Most of the beneficiaries of the cheap cooking gas scheme are deprived sections of the society. Dalits and backward people constitute the main beneficiaries of the free foodgrain scheme, he said.

It is the poor farmers getting the Kisan Samman Nidhi, he said. “Who gets the credit for these achievements. These are not because of Modi; your one vote did it,” he told the crowds.

Attacking the Congress and its rule, he said who was responsible for the Partition of the country. How was the Kashmir problem cropped up just after Independence, he asked. Many countries became Independent along with India but they beat India in development. Terrorism and Naxalism kept increasing, who was responsible for this, he asked. The terrorists got protection from the policy of appeasement. Whose gift was Naxalism, he asked.

For decades, the Ram Temple issue remained pending in courts, he said. Who raised doubts about the existence of Lord Ram, who were seeking adjournments in judicial decision in the issue, Mr Modi asked. Who denied Bharat Ratna to B R Ambedkar; who did not give constitutional status to the backward classes commission, he said. The answer is Congress, he said.

For just 10 years the Congress has been out of power, he said. The NDA got full majority and it has brought about durable resolution of national problems. Naxalism has abated in the country; Gadchiroli in Maharashtra is free from this and is about to become a steel city.

He said “karela” (bitter gourd) will remain bitter in any cooking medium, the Congress is similar to this. This party cannot change its ways. It has lost support, and is now resorting to divide and rule; it has come to this level. It is writing the language of the Muslim League in its manifesto, the PM said.

Its MPs are talking of another partition of the country, he said, separating the South from the country. The Congress president said why is PM talking of Article 370 and Kashmir in other regions, can this be accepted by anyone, he said.

When Shivaji took up fight against Delhi Sultanate, did he have a narrow vision like this. Lokmanya Tilak could never think Maharashtra had nothing to do with Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab, he said.

When Kashmir Pandits’ homes were being burnt, Balasaheb Thackeray had come out against the Congress openly and never thought Maharashtra did not care about Kashmir tragedy. He said he was happy the present Maharashtra government is following Balasaheb’s thinking fully, he said.

Mr Modi asked party workers to ensure record polling on April 19 and 26 in Maharashtra.