Nashik, Nov 8 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday dared the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders to make Congress leaders, especially Yuvraj (referring to Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi,) praise Veer Savarkar's sacrifice and his contribution in the country's freedom struggle.

PM Modi also dared the MVA leaders to make Congress leaders and 'Yuvraj' praise Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray's thoughts in public. The Prime Minister said that he would wait for the MVA leaders to respond, hinting that they would not succeed in fulfilling his challenge.

Speaking at a rally to garner support for BJP and MahaYuti nominees, PM Modi led a blistering attack saying: "Congress never allowed Marathi language to get the status of an elite language. Congress people abuse Veer Savarkar. They come to Maharashtra and insult Veer Savarkar. Bal Thackeray's contribution to the politics of the country and Maharashtra is incomparable. But not a single word came out from the mouths of Congress leaders in praise of Balasaheb Thackeray. I challenge my Congress friends in the MVA to get the Congress leaders to praise Balasaheb Thackeray and his ideology."

In a blistering attack at the Congress, PM Modi said: "The people of the country have rejected the Congress party because of their poor track record. Congress is no longer the 'All India Congress'. It's a parasitic Congress living off other parties. In most of the states, they can fight elections only with the help of other parties, and therefore to save itself, it has resorted to weakening the unity of the SC, ST and OBC in the country. Be it Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar or Jharkhand and in most states, Congress is in a position to contest elections only with the support of other parties."

He said "the Congress is unable to digest that Narendra Modi, who is from the OBC, has become the Prime Minister for the third time after 60 years".

"The truth is that Congress despises the OBCs. A person from the OBC section has become the PM of the country for the third time, and Congress can't come to terms with this truth. Congress has lost its sleep. They are venting their anger on the OBCs," PM Modi said.

He further targeted Congress and allies over their attempts to reinstate Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.

"A couple of days ago, in the Assembly of Jammu Kashmir, Congress and its allies created a ruckus for the restoration of Article 370. These people want to remove the Constitution of Baba Saheb from Jammu and Kashmir. They want to snatch the rights given to the Valmiki Community and Dalits after 75 years. Congress and its allies are equally responsible for depriving the Dalits of their rights," PM Modi said.

Urging the people to vote for the MahaYuti in the November 20 Maharashtra polls, the Prime Minister said: "A double-engine govenment ensures development at twice the speed. Besides, the benefits of the schemes also doubled, and the farmers of Maharashtra are experiencing it. Here, they are benefitting from the farmer welfare schemes and getting financial assistance of Rs 12,000 annually. This amount will increase to Rs 15,000 when we form the government again in Maharashtra."

He assured that after the MahaYuti government is voted back to power, the state will further progress in the next five years, while criticising the MVA for stalling the development.

Comparing the poll manifestos released by the MahaYuti and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), PM Modi said: "The people have also come to know the reality. The people of Maharashtra are also seeing that on one side there is the manifesto of MahaYuti, while on the other side there is the 'scam letter' of MVA. Because it is certain that wherever there is Congress and its allies, there will be scams. These people announce such schemes in which maximum corruption can take place."

The Prime Minister claimed that the Congress has opened a shop of falsehood (jhoot ka dukan) in Maharashtra on the lines of Karnataka and Telangana, saying that after the elections were over, they failed to fulfill their promises.

"In the Congress-ruled states, the governments have no money even to pay the salaries of their employees," he alleged.

"The Congress and the Aghadi people do not miss any opportunity to pull the country backwards and weaken it. What have these people not done to pull the country backwards in defence sector manufacturing? They spread falsehoods about HAL, stirred up controversies, and incited employees. However, HAL has now emerged as a company with record profits. When policies are clear and intentions are good, you get good results," PM Modi said.