Amidst farmers protest, PM Modi says govt working for their welfare

Amidst ongoing farmers' protests, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that his government has been working on schemes to benefit farmers.

While addressing a public event in Rewari, the PM unleashed a scathing criticism of the previous Congress government when it was at the Centre.

He also said that his government has given the farmers the "guarantee" to seek loans from banks, which earlier was denied to them.

Referring to his visit to the UAE and Qatar this week, he said the respect that India now gets from every corner is not of Modi alone, but of every Indian.

Targeting the opposition Congress, Modi said those who used to call Lord Ram imaginary and did not want a temple to be built in Ayodhya are also chanting 'Jai Siya Ram' now.

For decades, the Congress had created obstacles in the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, which accorded special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. He said he had given a guarantee and fulfilled it by scrapping Article 370.

Modi said his first event after the BJP declared him as its prime ministerial candidate in the run-up to the 2014 general elections was in Rewari in September 2013.

"As prime ministerial candidate, I had given some guarantees." The country wanted a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya and it has been fulfilled, he said.

Modi said people are now saying that since he has come to Rewari again, the BJP-led NDA will win more than 400 seats this time -- 'Abki Baar NDA Sarkar 400 Paar' -- with people's blessings.

Seats are important in a democracy, "but for me people's blessings are the biggest asset", he added.

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