Union Home Minister Amit Shah addresses a public meeting for Lok Sabha elections.
Credit: PTI Photo
Palghar: Describing the I.N.D.I.A. opposition bloc as “circus” and “khichdi alliance”, BJP stalwart and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that its leaders are engaged in securing positions of power for their next generation and are in no way concerned with nation building.
While asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to get a third term in office, Shah launched a scathing attack on Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and their alliance partners.
"Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena (UBT) head) wants to make his son Aaditya Thackeray the Chief Minister. Sharad Pawar (NCP (SP) supremo) wants to make his daughter Supriya Sule the Chief Minister. Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo) wants to make her nephew (Abhishek Banerjee) the Chief Minister. Lalu Prasad (RJD leader) wants to make his son (Tejashwi Yadav) the Chief Minister. Similarly, Sonia Gandhi wants to make Rahul Baba the Prime Minister,” Shah said addressing a rally in Vasai in Palghar district, which goes to polls during the Phase 5 in Maharashtra.
“The I.N.D.I.A. (opposition bloc) functions as a circus,” Shah said, adding that their leaders are interested only in securing the future of their sons, daughters and nephews.
The contest in the Palghar (ST) involves late BJP leader and minister Vishnu Savara's son Dr Hemant Savara, who is pitted against Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Bharti Kamdi, however BJP’s ally Hitendra Thakur, who heads the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA), has put up sitting Boisar (ST) MLA Rajesh Patil.
Shah wanted to know if any of the I.N.D.I.A. leaders can handle issues like Covid pandemic, national security issues, terrorism, Naxalism. “Only Modi can do it,” he said.
Describing the erstwhile Congress-led UPA government led by Manmohan Singh-Sonia Gandhi as a “khichdi alliance” which is riddled with scams. “On the other hand, we have Modi, who has been occupying office for the last 23 years as Gujarat Chief Minister and Prime Minister,” he said, adding that Modi has taught Pakistan a lesson by way of air strikes and surgical strikes.
“Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir was of India, is of India and would be of India in future,” he said.
Shah said that the BJP is committed to implementing the Uniform Civil Code and the country cannot run under Sharia law. “Triple-talaq ban and CAA has been brought into account for the future of the country,” he said.
Shah said that Article 370 was abrogated to ensure stability in Jammu and Kashmir.
On the Ram temple issue, Shah lashed out at Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole, who has said that the temple premises would be "purified" when the Congress-led government comes to power.