Patna, June 20 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday stated that Bihar will play a pivotal role in achieving the goal of ‘Viksit Bharat’ and urged the public to remain alert and vigilant against the ‘jungle raj’ forces, which are once again lurking for an opportunity to seize power in the state.

PM Modi, addressing a large public gathering in Siwan, launched a wide array of development projects and slammed the RJD-Congress alliance for keeping the state backward for years.

“Lalten and Panja forced the residents of the state to leave their homeland and migrate outside. They brought the state to such a condition that poverty and exodus became an identity of Bihar,” PM Modi said, taking a direct swipe at Lalu Yadav’s RJD and the Congress party.

It’s under the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government that the state was brought back on the development track, he added.

PM Modi further said that today’s youth have only heard stories about the plight of Bihar 20 years ago, but have no real idea of the terrible condition that the Jungle Raj created in the state.

“People of Bihar have never compromised with their self-respect and have shown their mettle with hard work and determination. But, it’s the alliance of ‘lalten (lantern)’ and ‘panja (hand)’ that hurt the self-respect of Bihar greatly,” PM Modi told the gathering.

Prime Minister further said that Bihar will be a significant contributor to shaping India’s rise as a third superpower in the world. He also shared feedback from his recent foreign visits.

“You all know that I returned from abroad only yesterday. During this visit, I talked to the leaders of major prosperous countries of the world. All the leaders are very impressed by the rapid progress of India. They see India becoming the third-largest economic superpower in the world. And Bihar is definitely going to have a big role in this. Bihar will prosper and will also play a big role in the prosperity of the country,” PM Modi told the crowd, eliciting loud applause.

He also urged the public to stay wary of those who brought jungle raj to the state, stating that there were fresh attempts by them to reclaim the reprehensible legacy.

He exhorted the people to think about the future of their children and choose wisely when the state goes to the polls.

–IANS

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