JAIPUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday intensified his attack on the Congress as the Lok Sabha election campaign entered deep into the Hindi heartland ahead of the second phase of polling on April 26. While in Rajasthan Modi doubled down on the “Congress for Muslims” rhetoric, in Chhattisgarh he lashed out at the grand old party over its “appeasement politics” and “attempts to divide India”.
Speaking at a rally in the Tonk-Sawai Madhopur constituency in Rajasthan, the Prime Minister, on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti, yet again reminded the voters how the Muslims could benefit if the Congress came to power. “As soon as the Congress formed the government at the Centre in 2004, one of its first tasks was to reduce the SC/ST reservation in Andhra Pradesh and give reservation to Muslims,” the Prime Minister said.
He asserted that this was a pilot project that the Congress wanted to implement nationwide. “Between 2004 and 2010, the Congress made four attempts to introduce Muslim reservation in Andhra Pradesh, but due to legal hurdles, the plans did not materialise,” he said.
In his address, he also pointed out the “unacceptable incident” in the Congress-ruled Karnataka where a shopkeeper was recently beaten as he was “listening to Hanuman Chalisa”. “As we speak on Hanuman Jayanti today, I’m reminded of a picture from a few days ago. It’s from the Congress-ruled Karnataka. Recently, a shopkeeper there was brutally beaten simply because he was listening to the Hanuman Chalisa. You can imagine... in the reign of the Congress, even listening to Hanuman Chalisa is considered a sin,” he added.
Modi alleged that following one’s faith becomes difficult under Congress rule and Rajasthan has suffered because of it. “Just a few days ago, we celebrated Rama Navami. For the first time after the Congress’ departure, a peaceful procession was held. During the Congress’ tenure, Rama Navami celebrations were banned in Rajasthan,” he said.
Reiterating his charge that the Congress, if voted to power, will conduct a wealth survey to seize the assets of people and take away their life-long savings, he said, “The Congress is plotting to snatch your property and distribute it to their ‘special’ people. When I exposed their politics, they got so angry that they started abusing me. I want to know from the Congress why they are so afraid of the truth.”
Hitting out at the Opposition alliance, he said, “The reservation rights that Dr Babasaheb gave to Dalits, backward classes, and tribals, the Congress and the I.N.D.I.A. bloc wanted to give them to specific minorities based on religion.”
Addressing another rally in Chhattisgarh’s Sakti district, Modi slammed the Congress for their divisive politics and said, “The Congress has now started another big game. First, a Congress MP from Karnataka said that they will declare South India a separate country. Now, the Congress candidate from Goa is saying that the Indian Constitution does not apply to Goa.”
Hitting out at the Congress for its appeasement politics, Modi stated that appeasement is in the DNA of the Congress. To appease a particular community, the Congress won’t even hesitate for a second if it has to snatch the rights of dalits, backward classes and indigenous people.
“The BJP is a party that follows the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.’ Our priority is the welfare of the poor, youth, women and farmers. For 60 years, the Congress chanted the slogan ‘Garibi Hatao’ in the country and kept filling the coffers of its leaders. But we have lifted 25-crore people out of poverty in the last 10 years,” the Prime Minister said.
