Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a public meeting for the Lok Sabha elections, in Surguja district, Chhattisgarh.
Credit: PTI Photo
Ambikapur (Chhattisgarh): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hit out at the Congress, saying the 'vote bank-hungry' party wanted to implement reservation on the basis of religion.
Addressing a Lok Sabha poll rally in Ambikapur, the headquarters of Surguja district in Chhattisgarh, he also alleged that the Congress wanted to impose inheritance tax in the country and snatch the assets and rights of people and their children.
Some forces want a 'weak' government of the Congress and 'INDI' alliance to be in power in the country as they thought that if India becomes 'atmanirbhar' (self-reliant), their shops will be shut, he said.
"Today, when I have come to Surguja, I want to present the Muslim League thinking of the Congress in front of the country. When their manifesto was released, on the same day I had said, and saying today also that the Congress manifesto has the imprint of Muslim League," Modi said.
When the Constitution was being drafted, intellectuals and great personalities under the leadership of Babasaheb Ambedkar decided that there would be no reservation on the basis of religion in India, he said.
"If there is reservation, then it will be for my Dalit brothers and sisters and tribal brothers and sisters," he said.
"But the vote bank-hungry Congress never cared about the words of the great personalities, sanctity of the Constitution and the words of Babasaheb Ambedkar. Years ago, the Congress made an attempt to implement reservation on the basis of religion in Andhra Pradesh. Then Congress has planned to implement it in the entire country," Modi said.
They talked about implementing 15 per cent reservation on the basis of religion and said it will be done after curtailing the quota of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes, he added.
"Congress expressed the same intention in its 2009 manifesto, and in the 2014 manifesto, it had clearly said that it will never leave this issue. If reservation for Dalits and tribals has to be curtailed, they will do so," the PM said.
"Earlier, Congress had also implemented reservation on the basis of religion in Karnataka. When the BJP government came there, we quashed the decision taken by the Congress against the Constitution and against the spirit of Babasaheb Ambedkar," he said.
But the Congress government in Karnataka committed another sin by including all the castes of the Muslim community into the OBC category. A big portion of benefits the OBC community used to get was cut off, Modi said.
"Congress insulted social justice, murdered it and killed secularism there (Karnataka). This model of Karnataka is what Congress wants to implement in the entire country. Congress wants to give the rights of SC, ST, OBC to its vote bank by changing the Constitution," he claimed.
He told the people present in the meeting that only the BJP can protect their reservation and sought their support.
The intention of the Congress is not good, it is not according to the Constitution, social justice and secularism. If anyone can protect your reservation, it is the BJP, Modi said.
"The Congress's eyes are not only on your reservation, but also on your earnings, your houses, shops and farms. The 'shehzada' of Congress (apparently referring to Rahul Gandhi) says they will conduct an X-ray of the property of every house and every family in the country. The Congress will snatch all these things from you and they say that they will equally distribute them," he said.
Do you know to whom they will distribute it after looting it from you, Modi asked, to which the people replied in affirmative.
'I need not tell you to whom they will distribute it to,' he added.
Modi further said the 'dangerous intentions' of Congress are coming to the fore one by one and now it says it will impose inheritance tax.
'They (Congress) want to snatch your assets and rights of your children,' Modi added.
He said Congress' history has been to destroy the country for the sake of power.
'Terrorism and Naxalism spread in the country and who was responsible for this? As a result of Congress' misrule and negligence, the country was being ruined. Today, the BJP government has been taking stern action against Naxalism and terrorism.
'But what is Congress doing? Congress has been supporting those who spread violence. Those who kill people, police and security forces. If they die, Congress calls them martyrs. Congress insults our brave security forces. Senior leaders of Congress shed tears when terrorists are killed. Due to such acts, Congress has lost hope of the country,' he added.
'When I talk about Viksit Bharat, Congress and some forces get furious. If India becomes powerful, then the game of some forces will be distorted. If India becomes atmanirbhar, shops of some forces will be shut. Therefore, they want a weak government of Congress and INDI alliance in the country which keep on fighting among each other and commit corruption,' he said.
Hailing the Vishnu Deo Sai-led government in Chhattisgarh for its various schemes, Modi said, the way action is being taken against 'ghotalebaaz' (those indulged in scams) of Congress, the entire country is watching.
The PM also said he had come to seek people's blessings for a developed Chhattisgarh and a developed India.
Surguja seat will go to polls on May 7.