PRIME Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at the BJP’s rivals on Tuesday as he accused them of spreading “false narratives” over issues ranging from the farm laws to the citizenship law to trigger political instability in the country, and asked party members to caution people about their reality. Addressing party members on its 41st foundation day, he said imaginary fears and rumours are stoked against his Government with claims that people’s citizenship will be revoked, farmers’ land will be seized, Constitution will be changed, or reservation will be scrapped over various issues.

 

Modi said those who cannot accept their electoral defeats, a reference to Opposition parties, people having vested political interests and those who are pathologically inimical towards the BJP are behind this. What they are doing will harm the country for a long time, he said. “You have to caution people about their reality,” he said in a virtual address, watched by party members across the country. “Every BJP worker will have to understand that there is deliberate politics behind this. This is a very big conspiracy. Its aim is to trigger political instability in the country. A variety of rumours is spread, illusions are created and imaginary fears are stoked for this,” he said, describing it as a serious challenge. “A new tactic, strategy have entered our public life.

 

What is this? False narratives are manufactured. Sometimes, it is about the CAA (Citizenship (Amendment) Act), sometimes it is about farm laws and sometime it is about the labour laws... Blatant lies are spread quickly by some individuals and organisations. We have to be vigilant and go to people with true information,” he said. Opposition parties have criticised the laws on citizenship, and farm and labour reforms over a number of issues, including some which the Prime Minister has often rejected as blatant lies. Modi also hit out at those who have often dubbed the BJP as an “election-winning machine” over its poll triumphs, and accused them of double standards, saying rival parties and their leaders are lauded when they win.

 

These people do not understand the maturity of Indian people and its democracy, and nor do they appreciate citizens’ hopes, expectations and dreams, he said, asserting that voters have evaluated the party over its performance. The BJP is a continuous movement to win people’s hearts as it serves people for five years honestly, be in the Government or outside, he said. The poor and the rural India have embraced the BJP as for the first time they have seen ‘antyodaya’ (welfare of the most deprived) being realised through a number of schemes, he said, citing a number of welfare measures, including opening bank accounts, huilding houses and toilets and providing free LPG cylinders to the poor among others.