Congress responsible for the creation of Pakistan, says PM Modi in Maharashtra

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, 9 April, blamed the Congress for the creation of Pakistan, at an election rally in Maharashtra’s Latur district.

Appeal to first-time voters

In a remark seen as treading on sensitive ground, Modi asked young people voting for the first time whether they would dedicate their first vote to those who carried out the air strike at Balakot.

Attack on the Congress and the NCP

Modi said Pakistan would not have come into being had Congress leaders acted wisely before independence. He also claimed that the Congress manifesto spoke the same language as Pakistan.

He accused the Congress and its ally the NCP of siding with those who wanted a separate Prime Minister for Jammu and Kashmir, a reference to a remark by National Conference leader Omar Abdullah. Turning to NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Modi asked whether it suited the Maratha leader to stand with parties holding such a view.

Modi said that under the BJP, the policy of a “New India” was to strike terrorists inside their hideouts. He repeated his charge that opposition parties had questioned the courage of the security forces after the Pulwama terror attack the previous month.

The BJP’s pitch

The Prime Minister praised the BJP manifesto released in Delhi on Monday, saying the party was committed to national security and the welfare of farmers, among other priorities. He told the crowd that their trust had been his greatest achievement over the past five years, and said his aim was to rid India of the Naxal and Maoist threat.

What happened next

The Pulwama attack took place on 14 February 2019 and the Balakot strike on 26 February 2019. In the Lok Sabha election counted on 23 May 2019, the BJP won 303 seats and the Congress 52, and Modi was sworn in for a second term on 30 May 2019.

Originally published on 9 April 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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