Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at the Congress party over vote-bank politics and questioning the surgical strikes.

Accusing Congress of dividing the country along vote-banks, the PM said, “Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) doesn’t play Hindu-Muslim politics. We are people who unite, not divide.”

Addressing supporters at the Vijay Sankalp Sabha at Ajmer, Rajasthan, on Saturday, Modi warned of the consequences of bringing political parties who play vote-bank politics to power.

“They divide the government officers, too, according to their politics and provide posts only to those who fit their vote bank politics, and thus destroy bureaucracy,” the PM said.

Urging supporters, who chanted ‘Modi-Modi’ slogans and waved the party flag, to keep divisive political parties at bay, Modi said that vote-bank politics is not restricted to elections alone.

“It destroys the entire system. Please don’t let such people get into any corner of the country,” he said.

He said that the Congress “mocked” the Indian Army on the surgical strikes.

“There is not a single Indian who is not proud of our Jawans and the surgical strike they conducted. But look at Congress – they even mocked our Jawans,” the PM said.

Taking a jibe at Congress president Rahul Gandhi, the PM said that “hugs” cannot change course of politics.

“There are people who think that they can change the course of their politics with a hug,” he said referring to Gandhi’s act of hugging a seated Modi during the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha.

Accusing the Congress leaders in the poll-bound state of ignoring the concerns of the people of Rajasthan, Modi said, “Congress leaders are busy serving one family. No wonder they do not have the time to come to the State Assembly or raise issues concerning Rajasthan, women empowerment, other development issues.”

Accusing the Congress of spreading “lies and abuses”, the PM asked why the grand old party was not fighting election on facts.

“In a healthy democracy, a strong opposition is needed. But, we have a set of people who not only failed in government for 60 long years, but also have failed as an opposition,” he added.

He also praised the government led by Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and said that it is impossible to go among the people with a report card unless there has been a proper devotion to work for 5 years of government.

“We are a party dedicated to the policy of Sarvajan Hitay, Sarvajan Sukhay,” the PM said.

The rally marks the completion of Raje’s ‘Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra’ which she had begun from Rajsamand’s Charbhujanath temple.

The PM is set to return to Jaipur after the programme.

The ruling party, which had lost the Ajmer Lok Sabha constituency to Congress in bypolls held earlier this year, is trying to build a favourable atmosphere and mood among the voters by holding the rally, who had addressed an election rally in Ajmer in 2013 also.

The Congress had won the Ajmer Lok Sabha seat by defeating BJP’s Ramswaroop Lamba who is the son of former Ajmer MP Sanwar Lal Jat. The seat went to bypoll after the then sitting MP Sanwar Lal Jat died due to cardiac arrest last year.