NEW DELHI: With crucial electoral battles in several states, including in Rajasthan, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana and Chattisgarh, lined up before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP held a three-day national executive meet of its OBC morcha in poll-bound Rajasthan.
Senior BJP leader and Union minister Amit Shah addressed the concluding day of the meet on Saturday.
Taking on the Congress in Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s home turf Jodhpur, Shah recalled various efforts undertaken by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government for the OBC community, including providing constitutional status to the National Commission of Backward Classes after almost three decades of Mandal Commission implementation and representation of 27 members from the community in the Modi government.
The party will focus on reaching out to OBC castes and sub-castes, with a special task force for youth and women’s outreach.
Later, Shah addressed a gathering of the BJP’s booth-presidents, where the Union minister targeted the incumbent state government over various issues, including the deteriorating law and order situation.
“Tailor Kanhaiya Lal was brutally killed, would you bear it? Would you tolerate the Karauli violence? Would you tolerate the demolishing of the 300-year-old temple in Alwar?” he was quoted as saying. He accused the Congress of pre-planned riots in Rajasthan cities.
Shah said that the Congress had "pre-planned riots" in Jodhpur, Chittoor, Nohar, Malpura and Jaipur.
"I want to tell Ashok Gehlot that if you can`t handle, then step down,” he said. “The number of cases against women has increased by 56 per cent. A woman teacher was set ablaze alive in Jaipur. Gau mata is also not safe here."
Shah also took a jibe at the ongoing "Bharat Jodo Yatra" of the Congress, saying the Congress leader (Rahul Gandhi) had once said India is not a nation and is now out to "unite" the country wearing a "foreign-made" T-shirt.
"I want to remind Rahul baba and other Congress members about his speech given in Parliament. Rahul baba had said India is not a nation. Rahul baba, in which book have you read this? This is the nation for which lakhs and lakhs of people have sacrificed their lives... Rahul Gandhi has gone to connect Bharat, but I think that he needs to study Indian history first," Shah said.
