Arrah: BJP president JP Nadda on Sunday credited his party with providing a “mazboot” (strong) government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which was capable of penetrating Pakistan’s borders to destroy terrorist hideouts. In contrast, the former Union minister charged, the Congress-led UPA government that got voted out in 2014 was “majboor, kamzor aur apang” (helpless, weak and crippled).

Addressing back-to-back election rallies in Bihar’s Arrah and Jehanabad constituencies, Nadda mocked the UPA for having sent “dossiers to Pakistan when the nation was rattled by terrorist attacks sponsored from across the border”. “When Modi took over, and Uri and Pulwama happened, our troops penetrated Pakistan’s borders to conduct surgical strikes and Balakot air strikes and beat the terrorists inside their homes,” he said.

Nadda also praised the government for scrapping Article 370, claiming it “liberated people of Jammu and Kashmir, who had been held hostage by a handful of political families for years”. “In the ongoing elections, Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing a record turnout. The enthusiasm of voters is a testimony to the liberating effect of abrogation of Article 370,” he claimed.

Training his guns at the RJD, a Congress ally that is also the BJP’s principal challenger in Bihar, Nadda said the party stood for “rishwatkhori” (corruption), was “rashtra virodhi” (anti-national), promoted “jungle raj” (lawlessness) whenever in power, and was comparable to “dal dal” (marshland).