Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a public gathering for the Lok Sabha elections in Motihari, East Champaran district on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. (Photo: PTI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday vowed to strongly defend the reservation for ST, SC and OBC categories against any attempt by the INDIA bloc parties “to snatch it away” and give it to Muslims.
“I will not allow this game to be played on the basis of religion. Modi is the guardian of the rights of the needy people (‘vanchito kaa jo adhikaar hai, Modi usskaa chowkidaar hai’),” the Prime Minister said during an election. meeting in Ghazipur.
Modi targeted the INDIA bloc parties, accusing them of being “extremely communal, casteist and dynastic”.
“They have always stopped Dalits and disadvantaged people in the country from progressing. Who insulted Babasaheb (BR Ambedkar)? Who hatched a conspiracy to defeat him in the elections? It was Congress. Who did not allow Babasaheb to get hold of Bharat Ratna? Congress party,” he said.
Modi said the opposition parties insulted former President Ram Nath Kovind, “son of a Dalit”, and contested the tribal Droupadi Murmu in the presidential elections.
“The INDI alliance is standing together in plundering the reservation of SCs, STs and OBC. But Modi is standing firmly with them… and I guarantee that as long as Modi is alive, I will not let them snatch the reservation. SCs, STs and OBCs,” Modi said.
He was referring to Muslims who have been included in backward classes in Karnataka under the Congress and Calcutta High Court order canceling OBC certificates issued in West Bengal since 2010.
“A grand conspiracy of theirs has been exposed in Bengal. Two days ago, the Calcutta High Court had raised the curtains. What game was going on there? In Bengal, almost the entire OBC reservation was given to Muslims,” he alleged.
Modi also attacked the Congress over the delay in implementation of ‘One Rank, One Pension’ for ex-servicemen and the Samajwadi Party over the mafia’s reign of terror under his rule.
In the Ghazipur Lok Sabha seat, the main contest is between Afzal Ansari of the Samajwadi Party and Paras Nath Rai of the BJP. Afzal Ansari is the brother of gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari who passed away on March 28.
Voting for the seat will take place in the seventh phase on June 1.
Taking a jibe at Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, Modi said, “The SP’s ‘shahzade’ (prince) once said he would stop the mafia from coming. Then he sat at the feet of the mafia. nurtured the mafia and gave them (voting) tickets.”
“A person who cannot stick to his guns can never fight for you,” Modi said.
“During the SP rule (in Uttar Pradesh), the situation was such that the mafia roamed with red beacons (on their cars) and opponents were openly shot dead. Riots had become the identity of UP. There were two -three riots a month during the SP rule,” he alleged.
“The poor were the ones who suffered because of this. Now under the government of Yogi (Adityanath) Ji, riots have stopped and rioters are behind bars.”
He alleged that the INDIA bloc is crossing all boundaries in the area of reconciliation.
“These people are insulting the Ram temple. An SP leader says the Ram temple is ‘bekaar’ (useless)… The Congress ‘shahzade’ (prince) plans to put a lock on the Ram temple.
“Not only this, the INDI alliance has announced that they will bring back Article 370 in Kashmir. This means that Congress will again push Kashmir into the fire of terrorism, Congress will again strengthen the morale of Pakistan, they will again strengthen the morale of Pakistan. want our soldiers to bleed,” Modi alleged.
Referring to Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha, Modi said, “Every person from Ghazipur is proud that today a son of Ghazipur controls Jammu and Kashmir.
“People in Kashmir are also seeing how the development is happening. Now even people in Kashmir have come to know the name Ghazipur.”
Modi said his government’s social welfare schemes have transformed the lives of the poor.
“In just ten years, 25 crore people have come out of poverty. This happened because your voice strengthened Modi.
We have opened bank accounts for poor people of Rs 50 crore and provided electricity to every village. We provide water to every house. Today, a poor person does not have to sell his land for treatment because he has an Ayushman card,” Modi said.
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
First print: May 25, 2024 | 11:46 PM IST