'I sold tea but not nation': Top quotes from PM Modi's Bhuj rally

BHUJ: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who started his high-voltage campaign with a rally in Kutch district's Bhuj town, launched a stinging attack against the Congress party. "Yes, I sold tea but not the nation", said Prime Minister Narendra Modi paying back Congress in the same coin for its "chaiwala" jibe. Top quotes from PM Modi's speech in Bhuj during Gujarat elections campaign

• The Congress dislikes me because of my poor origins. Can a party stoop so low? Yes, a person belonging to a poor family has become Prime Minister. They do not fail to hide their contempt for this fact. Yes, I sold tea but I did not commit the sin of selling the nation
• They (Congress) have insulted the poverty...they have insulted the mother... I am son of this soil and have been your friend of good and bad days.
• Gujarat is my Atma, Bharat is my Parmatma. This land of Gujarat has cared for me; Gujarat has given me strength... They are coming to Gujarat and spreading lies about a son of Gujarat. Earlier they did that with Sardar Patel also. Gujarat will never accept this. No Gujarati will accept the lies that they are spreading
• This Gujarat son has no stains in his public life. You come to the state and level baseless allegations on the son of the soil... the people of the state will not forgive you
• Modi alleged that the Congress raised questions on the surgical strike in September 2016. "They could not respect Indian Army, they asked questions like none of our soldiers was injured? None of them died? Have you any photo or video evidence? Had they gone to shoot a movie in Pakistan?"
• "When you go to the house of the poor and eat rotis, you ensure that you are filmed, but does that mean that a surgical strike should be filmed?" the prime minister asked.

The elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will be held in two phases on December 9 and 14. The counting of votes will be on December 18. (With inputs from agencies)