I sold tea, not the nation : Narendra Modi tears into Congress in Gujarat

"You can see how India responded in the wake of both attacks. This explains the difference between their Government and ours," he said at an election rally in Bhuj, referring to the 2008 Mumbai terror strikes and the attack on Uri's militar base in Jammu and Kashmir last year, which prompted India to go for surgical strikes across the Pakistan border.

He also said the Congress party does not respect the Indian Army.

Denying any wrongdoing, as alleged by the Congress, Modi said he has no stains and the opposition was indulging in mud slinging.

"This Gujarat son has no stains in his public life. You come to the state and level baseless allegations on the son of the soil... the people of the state will not forgive you," he said.

His remark was an allusion to comments made by arch-rival Rahul Gandhi, the vice-president of Congress who has alleged shady dealings in the contract for the acquisition of Rafale combat aircraft.

“I am grateful for all the kichad (muck) being thrown at me. After all, a ‘lotus’ blooms only in kichad. So, I don’t mind if more is thrown at me. Those slinging mud on us will help the ‘lotus’ bloom even more,” Modi said,

"The Gujarat election is a contest between trust on development and dynastic politics”.

As the Congress makes a desperate thrust to make a mark in Gujarat in the state Assembly elections to be held in two weeks time from now, Modi also put his fingers on the local sentiments, alleging that Congress does not like him because of his poor origin.

"The Congress dislikes me because of my poor origins. Can a party stoop so low? Yes, a person belonging to a poor family has become PM. They do not fail to hide their contempt for this fact."

"Yes, I sold tea but I did not sell the nation," the PM said.

Trying to show the difference between Congress and BJP as far as the state's development and exigencies are concerned, Modi said after every earthquake that struck Gujarat work was done on on war footing to rebuild the collapsed school and hospital buildings.

"Officers did not want to get posted to Kutch region as the water here was black in colour. Congress did not allow Narmada water to come to Kutch region. What if the Narmada waters had come to Kutch 30 years earlier? It would have made such a big difference," he said.

He said Sardar Ballabh Bhai Patel, a son of the soil, was "insulted" by the Congress. "People of Gujarat still forgave them but they will no longer tolerate any attack on their prestige."

"Gujarat is my soul & mother, my relationship with you is that of equality since you call me brother," he said.

Modi said the Congress is unhappy about demonetisation and it keeps attacking him. " But I want to tell them...I have grown up in the same land as Sardar Patel. I will ensure that the poor get their due. We will not allow this nation to be looted."