Dhanbad: While the polling for the third of the five-phased Assembly elections in Jharkhand is being held amidst tight security in the State on Thursday (December 12), Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed Congress and said the Opposition party was the reason why the people of Jharkhand lack faith in politicians.

The Prime Minister also said the party had always avoided taking decisions on matters of national interest.

Addressing a poll rally in Dhanbad, PM Modi asserted that he never cared about vote-bank politics, but has always believed in working for the welfare of people.

"Congress had deliberately kept the Ayodhya case hanging for decades. Matters of national interest are secondary for them. They had also kept the issue of Jharkhand's creation pending for five decades. It was the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government that created Jharkhand," he asserted.

In November, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favour of Ram Lalla and said the entire disputed land spread over 2.7 acres would be handed over to a trust formed by the government, which will monitor the construction of a Ram temple at the site.

The top court also added that an alternative five acres of land at a prominent location in Ayodhya should be allotted for the construction of a mosque following consultation between the Centre and the state government.

PM Modi also said that the Citizenship Amendment Bill would not affect the East and the Northeast.

"I assure every state of the East and the Northeast. The traditions, culture and language of Assam and other states will not be affected at all. The Centre will work with state governments for your development. Don't be misled by Congress's statements," he added.