Prime Minister Narendra Modi, here on Tuesday, has vowed that as long as “he is alive, he will not allow the Indian Constitution-mandated reservations for the SC/STs and BCs to be distributed to the Muslims at any cost”.
“The Constitution makers led by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar had decided against religion-based quota and made it only for the SC/ST/BCs. But the Congress party and its ‘prince’ (Rahul Gandhi), are undermining the Indian Constitution by snatching away the rights of the marginalised sections by bringing quota for the Muslims through the backdoor for their vote bank politics,” he charged.
Mr. Modi was addressing a public meeting at Zaheerabad as part of the ongoing election campaign for the Lok Sabha polls where he affirmed, in an emotional tone, that his commitment and respect to the Indian Constitution is total. Beginning his marathon hour-long speech in Telugu — Na Telangana kutumba sabhyulandariki namaskaramulu (Greetings to my Telangana family members), he also announced that the 75th anniversary of the Indian Constitution will be celebrated with “pomp and gaiety” throughout the country during his third term, where he will also “expose” the Congress party’s efforts made to “insult” and “poke holes” into it under its rule.
The Prime Minister blasted Mr. Rahul Gandhi without uttering his name, but calling him ‘Shehzada’, for tearing a Cabinet note prepared by the Manmohan Singh government in front of the media showing “utter disregard to constitutional propriety”. “He (Rahul Gandhi) is now talking of protecting the Constitution from us? It is a Holy Book to me equal to the Gita, Bible or the Quran,” he declared.
The first thing he did after being elected as MP was to prostrate in front of the Parliament even before he had stepped in, and on being elected again in 2019, he put a copy of the Constitution in the Central Hall and bowed before taking charge. He claimed to be the only Chief Minister (Gujarat) to have taken out a procession putting the Constitution on a caparisoned elephant while he walked, on the 60th anniversary celebrations whereas the Congress ‘prince’ and his cohorts have nothing do with the Indian Constitution or the democratic institutions.
“Everything is fine as long as they are in power or else they will obstruct the Parliament, question the Election Commission and EVMs for vote bank politics. They are out to defame the Constitution and will go to any extent,” he charged and accused the party of believing in five principles — “lies, vote bank politics, mafia/anti-social elements, corruption and dynasty politics” symbolising the five fingers of the hand.
He also accused Telangana Congress and the ‘RR’ duo — Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy — of mocking democracy by making a fake video to divide and harm society. The Congress government in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh was a “laboratory for appeasement politics” by introducing a quota for Muslims depriving the BCs of their share in one night. Lingayats, Marathas and 26 other castes clamouring for inclusion into the OBC list have been ignored for years, and so was the demand for SC categorisation of the Madigas, he added.
Mr. Modi said while the Telugu movie ‘RRR’ had won worldwide acclaim, the “RR tax” has brought shame to Telangana as the money being “forcibly” collected from industrialists and others is going as “black money” to Delhi. “I do not want to elaborate further on this, but if you do not stop, Telangana will be destroyed in the next five years as it was done during the 10-year corrupt BRS rule. Congress party’s 55% inheritance tax is another method to loot. They also want to obstruct the Rama Navami procession to please their vote bank,” he charged.
Mr. Modi also questioned the silence in implementing farm loan waiver and the bonus of ₹500 for every quintal of paddy procured. He accused the BRS and Congress of belonging to the same “corruption racket” and questioned the delay in investigating the ‘Vote for Note’ and Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project scams by the respective governments.
He forecast that the Congress-led INDIA alliance will not even get the Opposition status while the Congress party itself will get the least number of MPs elected this time. Appealing for a vote to party candidates B.B. Patil (Zaheerabad) and M. Raghunandan Rao (Medak), he said: “A vote for them is a direct vote for Modi”. “It is not Modi who built Ram Temple but your vote. Your vote is above everything but for Congress, their vote bank is above all,” he signed off. Telangana BJP chief G. Kishan Reddy and others spoke.
Published - April 30, 2024 08:34 pm IST
