Congress living its last breaths: Modi

Jalandhar, Jan 27 (IANS) Hitting out at the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday accused it of defaming Punjab and said its "opportunistic alliance" with the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, showed the party was living "on its last breaths."

Addressing a rally here in support of the ruling SAD-BJP alliance ahead of the February 4 assembly polls in Punjab, Modi launched a strong attack on the Congress, saying that it is feeling restless being out of power.

"Will people of Punjab think of stepping on a boat which is sinking. Congress is history. A party living on its last breaths, it is incapable of doing anything (for welfare of people)," he said.

He said Congress was "hungry for power" and had struck an electoral understanding with the Communist Party of India-Marxist for the West Bengal assembly polls last year despite having fought against it for over 50 years.

Referring to Uttar Pradesh, which will also face assembly polls in February-March this year, Modi said the Congress had protested against the Samajwadi Party government for months, sought to take advantage of the rift in the ruling party but ended up as its junior ally for the sake of power and to "save itself".

Modi also lauded Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, saying that he was committed to Hindu-Sikh unity and had strived to take the state forward.

Without naming the Congress, he accused the party of defaming Punjab by exaggerating issues faced by the state.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is a junior partner in the ruling alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab.