GUWAHATI/ HALDIA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a scathing attack on “international conspirators” who were out to discredit India – without directly taking the names of Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg who shared a “toolkit” in support of the ongoing farm protests and other global celebrities backing the agitation – and said the country will “respond to these conspiracies with all its might”.
At election rallies in Assam’s tea belt of Dhekiajuli and Bengal’s Haldia, the PM did not talk about the ongoing farmers’ agitation or name any of the international supporters but referred to the ‘toolkit’, which had “disrupting ‘yoga’ and ‘chai’ image of India in general among the tasks. He also trained his guns at opposition parties who had remained silent on the “international conspiracy”.
In Dhekiajuli, Modi said: “You must have heard in the news, these conspirators are saying that the image of tea of India has to be maligned. Systematically. The image of India’s tea is to be discredited worldwide. Some documents have come up revealing that some foreign powers are planning to attack India’s identity associated with tea.”
“I want to tell these conspirators from the land of Assam, no matter how hard they try, the country will not let their nefarious plans to succeed. My tea workers will win this battle. These attacks against our tea are not strong enough to compete against the hard work of our tea garden workers,” he added. Training his guns on opposition parties, Modi asked the crowd, majority of whom were from tea gardens: “Do you accept this conspiracy? Do you accept those who have preferred to remain silent after this attack? Do you accept those who are praising this attack?” The response: A thunderous “no”.
Modi said everyone who is “party to this conspiracy” will be made answerable.
The setting was perfect for Modi to launch the counter attack from Assam where BJP is seeking a second term and will be banking heavily on votes of tea garden workers, who decide electoral fortunes for parties in 35 of 126 assembly seats. A day after Union minister Niramala Sitharaman distributed Rs 3,000 each to over seven lakh tea garden workers, Modi said tea gardens of Assam were major centres of progress and prosperity of the state.
Modi said, “The red tea of Sonitpur is known for its very different flavour. Who would know better than me how special the taste of tea from Sonitpur and Assam is.”