Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday repeated in poll-bound Bihar what he had done in Bengal the day before: Extol Operation Sindoor as a personal achievement and portray the BJP’s rivals in the state as corrupt.

Addressing a rally at Bikramganj in Rohtas district, Modi accused the RJD
and the Congress of cheating the poor in the name of social justice.

“After the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, I had come to Bihar and made a promise to the country that the hideouts of the masters of terror would be razed to the ground. Today, I have come after fulfilling my promise,” he said.

The Prime Minister’s first public address after the April 22 Pahalgam massacre had come at a rally in Bihar, drawing accusations that he was keener on using the atrocity to canvass votes than on meeting and comforting the victims’ families.

Over the past few days, Modi has been on a countrywide tour hailing Operation Sindoor, attracting charges of using the military offensive to gain political advantage.

On Thursday, he presided over a road show in Patna and held a closed-door strategy meeting with Bihar BJP leaders to assess poll-preparedness, apart from addressing a rally in Alipurduar, Bengal. Bihar is expected to have elections in October-November.

“Those who sat in Pakistan and destroyed the vermilion of our sisters, our army turned their hideouts into ruins. Pakistan and the world saw the power of the vermilion of the daughters of India,” he said at Friday’s rally.

He reaffirmed what has been the government’s constant theme: that India’s fight against terrorism has not stopped and that “if terror raises its head again, India will pull it out from its hole and crush it”.

Switching to Bihar politics, Modi hurled the usual “jungle raj” epithet at the erstwhile RJD governments. He referred to the land-for-jobs case stemming from RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s days as railway minister in the UPA-I government.

“Lalu Prasad and his family snatched land from the poor; they never thought of the poor,” Modi said.

He claimed the “country had seen a new dawn of social justice” after he came to power at the Centre in 2014.

He said his government was serving the deprived sections by building houses and toilets and providing them with drinking water without any discrimination. “This is true social justice,” he said.

Modi, however, did not refer to his government’s decision to have a caste count as part of the population census – a move seen widely as dictated by Opposition pressure.

He alleged that the Congress was remembering social justice to save its existence as Dalits and backwards had deserted the party “because of it sins”.

“Leaders of the Congress and the RJD cheated the SCs, STs and OBC communities…. Now these parties are again trying to usurp power,” he said.

At Thursday’s election strategy meeting, Modi is learnt to have told party leaders not to lobby for tickets for their family members but focus on ensuring the victory of the NDA candidates.

“Modiji clearly said that party leaders who lobby for tickets for their sons and daughters will not be tolerated,” a BJP leader said.

Before the rally, Modi inaugurated or laid the foundations for several development projects.