Khagaria (Bihar) [India], October 25 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Operation Sindoor and slammed the Congress and RJD for remaining 'silent' for the 'greed of vote bank' during the UPA government when 'Pakistan attacked every day.'

Addressing an election rally in Khagaria, Shah highlighted that PM Modi has made India safe with retaliation after terror attacks in Uri, Pulwama and Pahalgam.

The BJP leader said, 'PM Modi has made our country safe. During the UPA government, Pakistan attacked every day. Driven by the greed for vote bank, Sonia, Manmohan, and Lalu governments remained silent.'

'After Modi came to power, three attacks were carried out: Uri, Pulwama, and Pahalgam. Surgical strike and air strike were carried out, and after Pahalgam, Operation Sindoor was launched. Modi has worked to secure India. He has worked to make India prosperous,' he added.

The Indian Army conducted Surgical Strikes in POK on September 29, 2016, after the Uri terror attack that claimed the lives of 18 soldiers while on February 26, 2019, the Indian Air Force successfully executed the Balakot Airstrikes in Pakistan following the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. India had launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the April 22 terror attack in Jammu-Kashmir's Pahalgam, during which 26 people were killed by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists in the name of religion.

He also slammed Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over his 'Voter Adhikar Yatra', and said it was to 'protect infiltrators'. He also assured the public that the NDA government in Bihar would remove infiltrators from the state.

'Recently, Rahul Baba came to protect infiltrators. Tell me, should the names of infiltrators be removed from the voter list or not? Form the NDA government again. I promise you that we will remove every single infiltrator from Bihar,' Shah said.

Alleging 'vote theft', Congress organised the 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' from August 17 to September 1 in Bihar to target the NDA.

Further, Amit Shah hailed the Prime Minister for economic growth, claiming that India will be the third-largest economy before 2027.

The Union Minister said, 'PM Modi has brought our country's economy from 11th place to fourth. We will move from fourth to third before 2027.'

The Congress has fielded Chandan Yadav from the Khagaria seat, replacing its incumbent MLA Chhtrapati Yadav, while the NDA has fielded JD(U)'s Bablu Mandal against the Mahagathbandhan candidate.

The voting for the 243 seat-Bihar Assembly will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, while the results will be declared on November 14.

The main contest is between the Nitish Kumar-led NDA and the RJD-led opposition alliance Mahagathbandhan.

NDA includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM).

Mahagathbandhan, led by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), includes Congress, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI-ML), the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), and Mukesh Sahani's Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP). (ANI)