India's Federal Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that people view Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the "messiah of the poor" as he launched the BJP's campaign in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh state where elections are due in December.
"PM Modi is known as the messiah of the poor due to the welfare work done for them," he said while addressing a public gathering in the Indore city of the state.
Shah, widely regarded as the No.2 in India's federally governing party, accused the opposition Congress party of ignoring the poor of the nation during its nearly 60-year stretch ruling the country following independence.
"The Congress government which ruled the country for 70 years didn't do anything for the poor," Shah claimed.
Shah's remarks come at a time when the BJP is looking to bounce back after losing its lone bastion in South India earlier this year.
Shah's remarks come at a time when the BJP is looking to bounce back after losing its lone bastion in South India earlier this year.
The BJP lost the polls to the Karnataka legislature by a big margin, managing to win only 66 seats out of 224 in the state legislature. On the other hand, its chief rival Congress broke a three-decade record, registering victories in 135 constituencies.