Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday compared the Congress to bitter gourd, whose taste he said will never change even if it is fried in ghee or mixed with sugar, and asserted the grand old party was the source of all problems in the country.

He declared the ensuing Lok Sabha elections were a fight between stability and instability and accused the opposition of seeking power only to indulge in corruption.

Addressing his first rally in Maharashtra for the 2024 elections, Modi targeted the Congress and blamed it for all problems faced by the country.

"The Congress is the source of all problems in the country. Who was responsible for the Partition of the country on the basis of religion...Kashmir (issue), Naxalism? Who opposed Ram temple construction and questioned the existence of Lord Ram. Who declined the Ram temple (inauguration) invite?" he asked the gathering at Chandrapur, the only Lok Sabha seat won by the Congress in 2019.

The 138-year-old party has lost people's support due to its deeds and its recently released manifesto has the imprint of the pro-Partition Muslim League, he maintained.

"The Congress is out of power for 10 years and we have been been able to resolve all problems faced by the country. Naxal menace has come down drastically. The Congress was soft on terrorism for vote-bank politics. Even its manifesto has the Muslim League imprint," Modi charged.

The BJP-led NDA government worked for development while the opposition "INDI' alliance wants power only to indulge in corruption, he alleged.

Modi said his government has worked for upliftment of the poor in the last 10 years.

The PM compared the Congress to bitter gourd (karela), saying even if it is mixed with sugar or fried in ghee, its taste will never change.

He said wood from Chandrapur was used for construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and new Parliament building in Delhi.

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