Cong is like 'rusted iron', promoted corruption and poverty: PM Modi

With an eye on the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday tore into Congress equating the party with "rusted iron" which he said would push MP back into the BIMARU category if given an opportunity again.

Addressing a massive gathering of BJP workers 'Karyakarta Mahakumb', the prime minister said the Congress and its allies in the Ghamandia bloc supported the Women's Reservation Bill out of compulsion and hesitation as they understood the power of "nari shakti".

He said if given an opportunity, Congress will back out on this bill that seeks to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in Parliament and state legislatures.

The 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' was organised on the birth anniversary of Jana Sangh co-founder Deendayal Upadhyaya to mark the formal culmination of the BJP's 'Jan Ashirwad Yatras' that crisscrossed the length and breadth of the state.

Congress and allies backed the women's reservation bill out of compulsion. Its passage was possible as 'Modi hai to Mumkin hai'. Modi means the guarantee of fulfilling guarantees," Modi said and slammed Congress and its allies for not allowing the passage of this bill when they were in power.

"Congress is a parivarwadi party with a history of crores of corruption and vote-bank appeasement. It's like rusted iron that will be finished if kept in the rain," Modi said.

He also targeted Rahul Gandhi without taking his name, saying for Congress leaders born with a silver spoon, "the life of poor people is like an adventure tourism and picnic and the poor person's agri field is a place for video shooting and photo session".

Modi said first-time voters in MP are fortunate that they have seen only the BJP rule in the state, which is the key centre of India's development vision.

For a developed India, MP too needs to be developed, he added.

Modi said Congress wanted people to remain poor in its own interest. "During its erstwhile rule, Congress had pushed MP, which has rich resources, into a BIMARU (laggard) state".

He said more than 13.5 crore people came out of poverty under the BJP rule in the last five years in the country.

"The Congress had turned MP into BIMARU state during its long rule after Independence. It will make MP BIMARU again if it gets an opportunity," Modi added.

He slammed Congress for criticising the BJP over the construction of the new Parliament building, quality roads and modern stations.

"Congress spreads negativity. They don't like the achievements of the nation. They want to take the country back to the 20th Century," Modi said, adding the Congress destroyed the states ruled by it with crores of corruption.

After Modi reached the stage at the venue, a group of BJP's women wing members honoured him with a huge garland for the passage of the Women Reservation Bill.