PUNE/NAGPUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday appealed to voters in Maharashtra to help BJP and its allies replicate Haryana results in the state to permanently defeat “anti-India forces”. He also accused Congress of speaking “the language of Pakistan” over the Jammu and Kashmir assembly’s move to pass a resolution to restore Article 370.
“For the last 70 years, only Pakistan was using such language. Now, Congress has started speaking the same language,” Modi said while addressing a poll campaign rally in the city.
The J&K assembly, where Congress is in alliance with National Conference, recently passed a bill for restoration of the special status amid strong opposition by BJP. “Congress and its allies are trying to restore Article 370, which promoted terrorism and separatist movements in J&K,” Modi said.
“They (Congress) are showing the book of Constitution in every rally. But I want to ask them why they could not implement the Constitution for the entire country when they were in govt for several decades,” he said.
Modi accused Congress of being “slaves to a colonial mentality”. He said, “Maharashtra is the land of Shivaji Maharaj, but Congress prefers to praise Aurangzeb. Congressmen curse Veer Savarkar. I challenge Yuvraj (reference to Congress’s Rahul Gandhi) to praise Veer Savarkar and Balasaheb Thackeray in his speech. Congress is a party devoid of integrity. It’s only involved in appeasement politics and interested in being in govt. For that, it is dividing society on the basis of castes,” the PM said.
Modi claimed that Congress govt in Karnataka was sending money to the party for the Nov 20 Maharashtra elections. “Congress made tall promises and formed govt in Karnataka, but are now looting the common people there. The money from that loot is being sent to Maharashtra for the elections,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Modi addressed a rally at Chimur in Chandrapur, where he accused Congress of being “historically biased” against reservation and tribals. He pledged Mahayuti’s commitment to prosperity and empowerment of Maharashtra’s marginalised communities.
The PM raked up a purported Congress ad, when Rajiv Gandhi was PM, that questioned the need for reservation for Dalits, tribals, and other disadvantaged groups. “Congress published an ad questioning reservation, brazenly suggesting that rights of Dalits and tribals were negotiable. They openly used the language of privilege and entitlement,” he said.
Furthering his criticism, Modi linked the grand old party’s “elitist mentality” to the recent statements of Rahul Gandhi, whom he referred to as “shezade” (royal heir), alleging that he suggested ending reservation while abroad. “Congress’ royal family has consistently looked down upon the dalits, tribals, and backward classes, while putting up a facade of support,” he added.
In the Solapur rally on Tuesday afternoon, Modi took a dig at MVA and said the alliance of opposition “is trying to ride a vehicle that has no wheels or brakes”. He said, “There is a fight among the allies over who will be in the driver’s seat of such a vehicle. It is quite clear that MVA cannot provide a stable govt,” he said.
With Ajit Pawar by his side, Modi silent on Sharad Pawar
Months after his ‘Bhatakti Atma’ comment during the Lok Sabha poll campaign earlier this year, Modi, who held three rallies in poll-bound Maharashtra, on Tuesday stayed away from making any adverse remarks against NCP (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar. During the Lok Sabha poll campaign, Modi had referred to Sharad Pawar as the “Bhatkti Atma” in Ajit Pawar’s presence. The NCP chief had then communicated to the BJP seniors that such personal attacks against senior Pawar must be avoided. On Tuesday, while sharing the dias with Ajit Pawar in Pune, Modi did not mention Sharad Pawar in his 40-minute speech.
