'Beware of false guarantees...': Modi takes dig at Oppn unity

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said Congress and other "family-centric" parties are giving "false" guarantees to people and old squabbles among them indicate there is no guarantee of opposition unity, a remark coming against the backdrop of a bid to form an anti-Bharatiya Janata Party bloc.

He also said dynastic parties work only for the welfare of their families. Those people facing graft charges and out on bail are together with those who are sentenced for scams, Modi added.

The PM targeted the Opposition after launching the National Sickle Cell Anemia Eradication Mission 2047 by unveiling a portal and releasing a guideline for the management of the disease and different modules at Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh.

He also started the distribution of over 3 crore digital Ayushman cards in the country and 1 crore PVC Ayushman Bharat cards in MP.

Reaching out to tribals in MP, where polls are due later this year, Modi said Rani Durgavati's 500th birth anniversary will be celebrated across India and a postal stamp will be released.

"Beware of false (poll) guarantees being given by family-centric parties including Congress. Such people have brought schemes of guarantees though they don't have their own (political) guarantee, " the prime minister said.

He said family-centric parties including Congress are hobnobbing together, an apparent reference to the recent meeting of anti-BJP parties held in Patna.

"Amid the promises of guarantees, you also have to be careful of those who give false guarantees. Identify their hidden deception and game in the name of false guarantee,” Modi said.

“The guarantee of such people (Opposition parties) claiming to have come together today means there is something wrong somewhere. Their old statements are going viral on social media. They have always been cursing each other by drinking water. This means this is not a guarantee of the opposition unity,” he said.

He said whenever they (opposition parties) guarantee free power, it means they are going to increase the tariff while the guarantees of free travel entail that transportation in a state is going to be ruined.

"Whenever they give a guarantee of pension, it means employees are not even going to get salaries on time. When they give a guarantee of providing cheaper petrol it means they are planning to increase taxes.

"When they give a guarantee of (providing) jobs, it means they will bring policies to ruin industries and business...The guarantees being given by parties like Congress means a flaw in the intention and harm to the poor”, the PM said.

Modi said they (opposition parties) failed to give a guarantee of providing full meals to the poor during the last 70 years but the BJP government has given a guarantee of free ration to more than 80 crore people under the PM Gareeb Kalyan Yojana.

The previous governments didn't pay attention to the health of the poor but the BJP government has given a guarantee of free treatment under Ayushman Yojana to 50 crore poor beneficiaries, he said.

Modi said his government has given a guarantee of smoke-free cooking to 10 crore women under the Ujjawala scheme, and a loan for self-employment under Mudra Yojana to 8 crore beneficiaries, but the previous governments didn't do anything for people.

He said these dynastic parties work only for the welfare of their own families.

"They do not have the guarantee of taking the normal family of the country forward. Those who are facing corruption charges are out on bail. They are together with those who are sentenced for scams,” Modi said in an apparent reference to the Patna conclave where leaders of Congress, JD (U), NCP, RJD, AAP and others met recently.

He said such people cannot guarantee a corruption-free government and terror-free India.

"Stay away from such false guarantees. They are making a statement against the country in one voice. They are holding meetings with anti-national elements. They will leave after giving a guarantee but you will have to suffer,” Modi said.

At the event, the PM distributed Sickle Cell colour-coded counselling cards to a few beneficiaries. He also handed over Ayushman cards and PVC Ayushman Bharat cards physically to some beneficiaries.

He said Ayushman Card is a guarantee of Rs 5 lakh treatment in hospitals. "It is the guarantee of Modi," he added.

The PM said the biggest beneficiaries of the sickle cell mission and Ayushman scheme are the people of Gond, Bhil and other Adivasi societies.

Modi lamented that no attention was paid to Sickle Cell anemia for the past 70 years even though more than 50 per cent of such cases in the world are found in India.

He recalled seeking help from a Nobel-laureate scientist during his visit to Japan on the sickle cell anemia issue.

"This disease affects the entire family as it pushes them into the web of penury," he said.

Modi said the Centre's efforts have brought down the cases of TB which will be eradicated from India completely by 2025.

He said the number of cases of Kala Azar, leprosy and Malaria has come down considerably in India.

"In 2013, there were 11,000 cases of Kala Azar. Their number has been reduced to less than a 1,000 now. There were 10 lakh cases of Malaria in 2013 which came down to less than 2 lakh in 2022. Leprosy cases have come down from 1.25 lakh to 70,000-75,000," Modi added.

He said 1 crore beneficiaries have been handed Ayushman cards on Saturday which will act as an "ATM card worth Rs 5 lakh for the poor" who have to visit hospitals for treatment.

He said the new NEP has addressed the challenge of language faced by tribal students.

Modi said those people who give false guarantees are opposing NEP.

He claimed the opposition parties and previous governments ignored tribals and their icons.

"The 500th birth anniversary of Rani Durgavati will be celebrated by the government at the national level. A film will be made on her life and a commemorative coin and postal stamp will be issued," he added.

Modi slammed Congress for naming a Tribal University in the region in the name of a "family member" whereas BJP named such institutions after tribal icons.

Union health minister Mansukh Mandavia appealed to tribals to check if their sons or daughters are not suffering from sickle cell anemia before marrying them off by using the smart card provided by the PM.