Nalanda (Bihar) [India], October 25 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday slammed the Rashtriya Janata Dal for its law-and-order record during the party's tenure in power in Bihar. He said that when the party was in power, elections in the state required six phases, but now they require only two phases, reflecting better law and order under the NDA government.

'During Lalu-Rabri's era, law and order in Bihar had deteriorated to the point that elections required six phases. Under Nitish Kumar and PM Modi, this was reduced to two phases. If the NDA government is formed again, future elections will be held in a single phase,' Amit Shah said in an election rally in Nalanda.

He pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government at the Centre has restored Nalanda University, honouring Nalanda's heritage.

'This land of Nalanda has been witness to our rich history... It was here that Kumar Gupta founded the renowned Nalanda University, which was destroyed and set ablaze by Bakhtiyar Khilji in the 12th century, nearly 800 years later. When this occurred, smoke from burning books was blown out of its library for six months,' he said.

'But PM Modi has restored Nalanda University, honouring Nalanda's heritage. People of Bihar, people of Nalanda, this is the NDA government. Now, even if 100 Bakhtiyar Khiljis came, no one would be able to touch Nalanda University,' he added.

Earlier in the day, addressing an election rally in Khagaria in the State, Shah highlighted that PM Modi has made India safe with retaliation after terror attacks in Uri, Pulwama and Pahalgam.

The BJP leader said, 'PM Modi has made our country safe. During the UPA government, Pakistan attacked every day. Driven by the greed for vote bank, Sonia, Manmohan, and Lalu governments remained silent.'

'After Modi ji came to power, three attacks were carried out: Uri, Pulwama, and Pahalgam. Surgical strike and air strike were carried out, and after Pahalgam, Operation Sindoor was launched. Modi ji has worked to secure India. He has worked to make India prosperous,' he added.

The Indian Army conducted Surgical Strikes in POK on September 29, 2016, after the Uri terror attack that claimed the lives of 18 soldiers while on February 26, 2019, the Indian Air Force successfully executed the Balakot Airstrikes in Pakistan following the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. India had launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the April 22 terror attack in Jammu-Kashmir's Pahalgam, during which 26 people were killed by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists in the name of religion.

The voting for the 243 seat-Bihar Assembly will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, while the results will be declared on November 14.

The main contest is between the Nitish Kumar-led NDA and the RJD-led opposition alliance Mahagathbandhan.

NDA includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM).

Mahagathbandhan, led by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), includes Congress, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI-ML), the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), and Mukesh Sahani's Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP). (ANI)