Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the Congress-Samajwadi Party alliance in Uttar Pradesh was based on a “policy of appeasement”, and its leaders wanted to snatch the rights of the OBC through the backdoor.
Addressing an election rally at Kothi Meena Bazar ground in Agra, Modi also raised the issue of inheritance tax and alleged that Congress Shahzada (Rahul Gandhi) has come up with an X-ray machine to assess the property of individuals when they (Congress alliance) come to power.
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It has the ill intention of snatching away valuables and the property of the poor, including Mangalsutras of women, but assured that he will stand as “chowkidar” (watchman) for mothers and sisters against the design of the INDI alliance, he said.
He blamed the Congress for denying reservation to OBCs by diverting a quota share on the basis of religion to Muslims in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh for vote-bank based politics in defiance of what Dr BR Ambedkar and Constitution Assembly provided in the Constitution of India.
It was well settled since Independence that there will be no reservation on basis of religion, he said.
This was what Dr BR Ambedkar desired and was decided by Constitution Assembly while framing the Constitution, he said.
“This act of the Congress is an insult to Baba Saheb, disrespect to Constitution and blow to the cause of social justice,” he said.
“Despite this, the Congress was bent upon insulting Baba Saheb (Dr BR Ambedkar) by bringing in reservation on the basis of religion in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, besides mentioning it in its manifesto. It was, however, the courts which came in the way and said no to Congress designs. As such, the Congress decided to do the same through the backdoor,” Modi said.
“The Congress intends to steal a share from 27% reservation provided to OBCs, the category to which I belong, and gave it to Muslims on the basis of religion…..Can it be tolerated?” Modi asked.
“The Congress regime in Karnataka went a step forward and through a letter, overnight changed all the castes of Muslims into the OBC category and gave them (Muslim) the chance to reap the benefit. In Uttar Pradesh, Congress had a similar plan but failed as OBC here came to know about it. Whenever the Congress gets opportunity, it attempts to commit theft in the OBC quota through backdoor and backwards need to understand this game plan of the Congress,” he said.
“When OBCs have got this right through the Constitution then what right do the Congress and the SP have to deny them and give it to their favourites for vote-bank politics?” Modi asked, while raising the apprehension that the SP is betraying Yadavs and other backwards.
He attacked the opposition alliance in Uttar Pradesh, referring indirectly to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav.
“Friendship between ‘do ladke’ (Akhilesh and Rahul) is based on their policy of appeasement. They speak in public in support of reservation to OBCs but through the backdoor want to wipe it out for vote-bank politics,” Modi said.
“We have seen politics of appeasement for long in the nation. It divided the nation and took away the rights of the deserving. We will end appeasement and will move towards ‘santushtikaran’ (satisfaction of the people) in place of ‘tushtikaran’ (appeasement). The Congress manifesto is reflection of a Muslim League and aimed at benefiting a vote bank while our manifesto is for the benefit of the nation.”
“Before Yogiji came to power in Uttar Pradesh, there was slogan in UP of the INDI alliance partners (SP) that “jo zameen sarkari hai, woh zameen hamari hai” (government land belongs to us) and because of their agreement on vote-bank based politics, the UPA government at the Centre blessed those in power in UP but Yogiji brought an end to it,” said Modi.
The prime minister repeated charges against the Congress on “redistribution” of wealth and even depriving people of their inheritance.
“Zindagi Ke Saath Bhi, Zindagi Ke Baad Bhi,” Modi said while suggesting that the Congress wanted to introduce an inheritance tax.
“Congress Shahzada (Rahul Gandhi) has come up with some X-ray machine to assess the property of individuals when they come to power. This X-ray will reach lockers of individuals and places where our mother and sister keep their gold and ‘mangalsutra’ (symbol of marriage). Will our women allow this loot of “streedhan’ (property owned by women)?” he asked.
“The Congress has not stopped here and plans to bring in an inheritance tax. The Congress plans to tax more than half of it (55%) before it reaches the children. If one constructs four rooms in a house, two will be inherited by the children and the remaining two will be usurped by the Congress, SP and INDI alliance if they succeed,” he said, asking voters to be alert to stop this loot.
“Till I am alive, SP, Congress and INDI alliance will have to face me before committing this loot. Modi is ‘chowkidar’ for mother and sisters standing against this loot. We are going to continue with action against corrupt and return the money earned by corruption to the poor. That is why voters are saying Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar,” he said.
“Some have a problem with India’s rise. We have brought the defence corridor to make India self reliant and an exporter of arms. But those who had expertise as middlemen during past regime do not want India to be self reliant because they have minted money in the past and shared bribe and are thus opposing Modi,” PM Modi said.
“We have a track record of 10 years for providing the benefit of welfare schemes to all without discrimination and without corruption. This is the saturation Model of BJP. Our secularism is to transfer benefit without discrimination and this is true social justice,” he said.
Speaking on “bhai-bhatijawaad” (nepotism) in the Congress regime, he said that in Rajasthan, someone close to Congress chief minister in past had revealed that the then regime was involved in paper leak.
Earlier, the prime minister flew to Agra from Morena in Madhya Pradesh and was welcomed by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who lauded Modi’s policies to make the nation “Atmanirbhar” (self-reliant) and viksit (developed). He alleged that opposition has history of betraying nation and looting rights of SC/ST and OBCs when in power.
He sought votes for the BJP’s Agra candidate and Union minister of state SP Singh Baghel and Fatehpuri Sikri nominee Rajkumar Chahar.
The two constituencies will vote on May 7 in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
