'Congress insults middle class, calls it selfish and greedy': PM Modi in Mumbai rally

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the Congress insulted the middle class by calling it selfish and greedy. He underlined the contributions of the middle class and his government's initiatives for it.

Addressing a rally in Mumbai along with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, PM Modi thanked the city’s dabbawalas, tax drivers and sewage cleaners and praised the middle class for its contribution towards nation building.

“I bow down to the middle class and very proud of them. The Congress says the middle class is very self-centred, selfish and greedy. The party’s manifesto doesn’t have a single thing about the middle class. How does it want to run the country? It wants to burden the middle class with more taxes,” he said.

He underlined the contributions of the middle class and his government's initiatives for it.

"Telephone bills were once a huge part in the list of expenses of the middle class. Due to efforts of our government, calling is almost free now and data is also among the cheapest in the world," PM Modi said.

The government works with 'Mumbai first' agenda and the changes are there to see with work on bullet trains and metro network in progress, he said.

In the next few years, Mumbai will have 275 km of metro network, PM Modi said.

PM Modi claimed the Congress won’t get even 50 seats in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, citing a survey to support his claim.

Dont waste your vote. Better to vote for a party that is coming to power and you can strengthen it with your vote," PM Modi said. "The only question now is if the BJP will better its own 2014 tally," he added.

PM Modi also attacked the Congress for neglecting the police forces force and turning it into a "punching bag" while the party was in power.

Modi's attack on the opposition party came in the backdrop of a raging controversy over BJP candidate Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur's remarks about 26/11 Mumbai terror attack martyr police officer Hemant Karkare.

Had it not been for the alertness of Mumbai Police, who have paid a heavy price including martyrdom, the city would have paid a heavier price due to terror activities, he said.

"The Congress attitude has been to change chief ministers and home ministers following terror attacks; we have changed that culture," Modi said.

The Congress did not do anything for the security forces, Modi said and underlined his government's decision to build a police memorial in New Delhi.