Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Congress, billing it a "lollipop company" that had no real concern for the country's farmers.
Addressing a rally at Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh, the Prime Minister asked the gathering to be wary of the sops and promises assured by Congress.
"These people are trying to lure you by short-term benefit announcements and promises but all this will not help," he said in an apparent dig at the Congress which has rolled out loan waivers for farmers in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan after its victory in the assembly elections that dislodged the ruling BJP.
"Taatkalik fayde ke liye ki gayi ghosnanyein kabhi sarthak nahin ho sakte (Announcements made for instant benefits won't be successful in the long run)," he said as the people applauded.
"All these announcements are being done to fool the people," the Prime Minister said.
Referring to the long queues of farmers for urea in Madhya Pradesh, where the Congress recently came to power after 15 years, Modi said this was an example of what hasty promises with an eye on votes can lead to.
He alleged that the black-marketeers have come into play in Madhya Pradesh, and the people were paying the price of voting for those who make false and hollow promises.
Modi also tore into the Congress-supported JD-S government in Karnataka.
He said while Congress had promised a farm loan waiver in the state and had made a "government through back door", the state's farmers had been cheated.
"They gave the lollipop of a farm loan waiver, votes were stolen but so far only... the loans of 800 farmers have been waived off," Modi said while exhorting people to understand "such games".
"What are these promises, and what are these games..." the Prime Minister chuckled as the crowd cheered.
