Nagpur/Mumbai: The Congress and its chief Rahul Gandhi are pretending to guard the Structure and are, actually, completely in opposition to it, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned on Saturday, as he slammed the Opposition in two rallies within the politically important Vidarbha and Marathwada areas of poll-bound Maharashtra.
Modi started his campaigning for the day at an enormous rally in Akola in Vidarbha on Saturday afternoon, the place he accused the Congress of repeatedly insulting the architect of the Structure, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Later within the day, at a rally in Nanded, he alleged that the Congress and its members had been flaunting copies of the Structure with clean pages throughout their election campaigns in Maharashtra.
In an obvious reference to the pocket-sized version of the Structure with a pink cowl that Gandhi carries to his rallies, Modi mentioned, “They’re now exhibiting a pink guide within the identify of the Structure. The duvet says ‘Structure of India’ however from inside it’s clean. This exhibits their hatred in direction of Babasaheb. Printing a pink guide for the polls and eradicating the Structure’s phrases is an instance of the Congress’s mentality to finish the Structure.”
Additionally Learn | In Maharashtra’s Akola, PM Modi accuses Congress of treating states as ‘ATMs’, pitches for ‘ek hain toh secure hain’
Modi’s remarks got here days after Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis accused him of in search of votes from “city Naxals and anarchists” by holding a “pink guide” throughout a rally in Nagpur on Wednesday.
Specializing in Gandhi, Modi mentioned the Congress MP, who often brandishes the Structure in conferences, is now advocating for the restoration of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, saying it was a place completely at odds with Ambedkar’s imaginative and prescient. Article 370, which was scrapped in 2019, used to grant particular standing to Jammu & Kashmir.
Referring to the Congress’s assist for a latest decision within the Jammu & Kashmir meeting calling for the restoration of Article 370, Modi mentioned it displays the celebration’s disregard for the Structure. For 75 years, he famous, India successfully operated below two constitutions: one in Jammu & Kashmir and one other for the remainder of the nation. “The Congress desires to push Jammu & Kashmir again into violence by restoring Article 370. Article 370 won’t ever be restored,” he mentioned.
Additionally Learn | PM Modi assaults Congress on caste in huge Maharashtra blitz
Modi additionally repeated his declare from rallies on Friday that the Congress is creating rifts between totally different castes, including that strengthening the Congress would result in a weakened and helpless nation. “The Congress is aware of that the weaker the nation, the stronger the celebration turns into. When the Congress grows stronger, the nation grows weaker. That’s why they pit totally different castes in opposition to one another,” he mentioned.
The prime minister then accused the Congress of indulging in corruption, saying that wherever it shaped a authorities, the state turns into an ATM for the celebration’s “shahi parivar” (royal household). “We received’t let Maharashtra turn into the ATM of Congress,” he mentioned. “As a lot as ₹700 crore has been extorted from the liquor enterprise in [Congress-ruled] Karnataka for the Maharashtra polls. Telangana and Himachal Pradesh have additionally turn into this shahi parivar’s ATMs,” he added.
Modi once more accused the Congress of stopping unity amongst Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Different Backward Courses (OBC), alleging that the celebration encourages division to fragment their votes and diminish their collective energy. “Should you stay divided amongst your personal castes, Congress will exploit this division to grab away the rights of the SC group and set up its authorities at your expense,” he mentioned.
Repeating his slogan from Friday, Modi urged voters to unite, saying, “Ek hain toh secure hai (We’re secure if we’re united).” The catchphrase is an iteration of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s slogan “batenge toh katenge” (if we’re divided, we will likely be slaughtered).
Modi additionally marked the importance of the date, November 9, the day in 2019 when the Supreme Courtroom delivered its verdict on the Ram temple. “This date will even be remembered for the sensitivity proven by folks of all religions following the Supreme Courtroom’s determination. The spirit of placing the nation first is a good energy of India,” he mentioned.
Later within the day, Modi addressed a rally in Nanded, the place bypolls for the Lok Sabha constituency will even be held on November 20 together with the meeting elections. The Nanded parliamentary seat turned vacant following the demise of Congress MP Vasantrao Chavan on August 26.
On the rally, Modi claimed there was a robust wave of assist for the Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra and referred to as on voters within the state to repeat the outcomes of the Haryana meeting elections final month, the place the Bharatiya Janata Get together (BJP) recorded an sudden and historic third straight win.
“There’s a Mahayuti wave in Maharashtra. Within the final two days, wherever I visited, folks needed to fill within the void left throughout the Lok Sabha polls. They need the Mahayuti authorities for viksit (developed) Maharashtra,” he mentioned throughout a 50-minute tackle. “Within the Haryana elections, BJP bought the best votes in historical past. Now, the folks of Maharashtra are additionally going to repeat this historical past,” he added.
