Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the most impressive event of the current election is the huge turnout of voters in Srinagar which, he said, became possible due to abrogation of Article 370.

Addressing a BJP election rally in Koderma, Jharkhand, he said after decades, people in the Kashmir Capital expressed their faith in democracy in such large numbers and put a stamp of approval in favour of the Indian Constitution.

After decades, a festival of democracy was witnessed in Srinagar, he said. Not only there was a large turn-out but people were full of enthusiasm and fervour, and expressed the view the change was brought by the abrogation of Article 370, and Modi’s arrival on the scene, he said. This event showed Modi is on the right path, he said.

The Prime Minister said after this event, those who abuse Modi on the abrogation of Article 370, should hear clearly that disappearance of the wall of Article 370 has brought people closer, their hearts are united, “our dreams and aspirations are taking shape together, there could be no bigger event in the life of the Indian democracy,” he said.

But what are JMM, Congress and the RJD doing, when he was achieving so much in favour of the country, he said. “They are upset and lost their balance. Here in Koderma, one INDI alliance leader talked of shooting him.”

He said “those who are dreaming of shooting him, and making a grave for Modi, should see multitudes of people in front of him, who are giving him a protection shield with their love and affection, and giving him energy to live.”

He said when the poorest provide a defence shield to Modi, he gets immortality. “I was not born in a royal family, nor my father was a pradhan of a village, none in my family fought an election, I am son of a poor mother. I reached here selling tea, with your blessings. I have seen poverty and gone through it, and I want to free people of that poverty. That is why my mantra is priority to deprived sections. I worship such people for whom none cared.”

The Prime Minister said the INDI alliance leaders are abusing and threatening him because he is taking strong action against corruption, but he will not let “thieves” get any sleep and make their treasures empty.

He said he had spoken from the Red Fort that “I will spend my life making India free of corruption and parivaarvaad (family-based politics) and appeasement. The JMM, Congress, Left, INDI alliance represent the biggest model of these evils, he said.

Mountains of money was found at the residence of a servant of an employee of Congress Minister, he said, and machines began failing in counting the currency notes. Before that, money was found at the residence of a Congress MP.

The whole country has seen that. “Who are they close to, officials, leaders, servants, are all close to “them,” he said. “Whatever they do, they do it all on instructions and protection from the royal family,” he said.

Mr Modi told the crowds that roads, bridges, canals were not built in their villages as the money went to the Ministers and their employees. “This is just a beginning, I will unearth more treasures,” he said.

“I will not let thieves get any sleep, I will take their sleep and make their treasures empty. The money belongs to you. You are its rightful owner. No thief can loot it. Modi is taking strong action and that is why they are talking of shooting him and abusing him,” he said.

For a strong government, interest of the country comes first, he said. But if there is a weak government of the Congress, it will make the country also weak. This weak government can never do anything in the interest of the country. Koderma has seen for decades the work of weak governments, he said.

Weak Congress governments allowed the country to be victimized by naxalism, he said. Naxalism hurt the country’s interests and swallowed dreams of many mothers. The misguided youth ruined their lives and made their mothers cry for ever. The Left tried to benefit from such a situation.

It is the BJP government which brought naxalite violence under control. Modi does not like to postpone challenges, but likes to face them squarely. When the determination is of steel, even the biggest challenge melts before you, he said.

Today, the naxalite-affected area has shrunk significantly in the country. “I am giving guarantee to the nation that Modi will inflict a big blow on terrorism and naxalism in his third term in office. Modi will not allow Jharkhand to become a centre of naxalism again, will not let lives of the youth wasted, and mothers losing their children in violence. The adivasi belt will be free of bloodshed. This is Modi’s guarantee,” he said.