Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the Bharatiya Janata Party will always be a nationalist organisation. “These days the issue-less opposition has started asking, why is Modi talking about nationalism?” the prime minister said at a rally in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. “Is it a crime to be nationalist? We were nationalist, are nationalist and will remain nationalist.”

The prime minister claimed that Anti-India forces has beem waiting for the Congress manifesto . “It has made terrorists happy,” Modi asserted. “The Congress manifesto clearly says that bail is the rule and jail the exception.”

The prime minister said it was no surprise that P Chidambaram, who Modi referred to as the “recounting minister” headed the Congress’ manifesto committee. “After all, getting bail is important for his own existence,” Modi said. “Do not forget his bosses are also on bail for tax fraud.”

Modi claimed that while the BJP is focused on broadening the middle class, the Congress and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam want to burden it. “Small and medium enterprises will always get the support they desire from the BJP and National Democratic Alliance,” he added.

The prime minister said that the NDA will construct a modern defence corridor in Tamil Nadu. “This will make India self-sufficient in defence production,” he added.

The Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases from April 11 to May 19, and the results declared on May 23.

The prime minister said that on April 18, all those who are above 18 years of age will be able to vote in Tamil Nadu. “Cast your first vote so that the life of the hardworking farmer changes for the better,” he said. “Cast your first vote for the power of truth and stability. Give the message that you believe in development, not divisive and dynastic politics.”

In Mysuru city of Karnataka, Modi claimed that Congress President Rahul Gandhi could have contested a second seat from the state, where his party is in power, but chose to contest from Kerala. Gandhi had decided to contest from Wayanad, Kerala, and is also contesting from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.

“There is lot of anger against the Congress in the country due to its politics of family-first, of corruption,” he said. “The anger is so much that the seat of Congress’s naamdar [Rahul Gandhi] has come under threat.”

“He was trying to find a safe seat in Karnataka but they knew the public mood here and were also not sure about the Janata Dal [Secular],” Modi claimed. The prime minister alleged that the Congress feared that Janata Dal (Secular) chief and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda would take “revenge”. “Sonia Gandhi had backstabbed Deve Gowda and removed him from the prime minister’s post,” he said referring to Congress withdrawing support to the central government in 1997. “They were worried what would happen if Deve Gowda decides to take revenge from her son.”

“Congress has made Karnataka chief minister [HD Kumaraswamy] their punching bag,” Modi added. “This is politics of blackmailing. This is politics of dynasty, corruption which has caused anger in the country.”

Modi said that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s beliefs are in sync with the sentiments of the people on the Sabarimala temple matter. He promised that the government will place the Sabarimala matter before the Supreme Court in as much detail as possible. “The Communists conducted lathi charge against the devotees,” Modi claimed. “At this time, the naamdar [Rahul Gandhi] fully supported the Communists. And when he went to campaign in Kerala, Gandhi said he will not speak against the Communists.”

Kerala Chief Election Commissioner Teeka Ram Meena had earlier warned political parties against using the Sabarimala temple matter in election campaigning.