PM Modi criticized Congress for attempting to “spread lies among Dalits” and accused the party of “taking away reservations from Dalits and reallocating them to their vote bank.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, having recently celebrated a successful return in the Haryana elections on Tuesday evening, resumed his criticisms of the Congress party this morning. He accused the opposition of being an “irresponsible party” and characterized it as a “factory to spread hatred.” Modi asserted that the Congress aims to “instill fear among Muslims” in order to secure votes from the minority community. “The BJP has triumphed in the Haryana election… but in Maharashtra, we must achieve an even greater victory,” the Prime Minister proclaimed as he initiated his party’s upcoming electoral campaign.
He described the BJP’s “historic” victory—marking the first time a party has secured three consecutive terms in the pivotal state—as indicative of the nation’s sentiment. During the inauguration of infrastructure projects in Maharashtra, which is preparing for elections and where his party is allied with factions of the Shiv Sena and NCP, he stated, “The Congress is engaging in politics of hatred… The Congress is determined to undermine the country. We must all remain vigilant and cautious. I am confident that the people of Maharashtra will respond decisively to all forces intent on disrupting society,” Mr. Modi conveyed through a video link.
I am confident that the citizens of Maharashtra will come together and cast their votes in favor of the BJP and the Mahayuti government, which is led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and comprises the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP.
Maharashtra, along with Jharkhand, is set to conduct state elections this year.
In Maharashtra, the Congress party’s disappointing performance in Haryana has drawn sharp criticism from the Shiv Sena faction led by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. This faction is anticipated to engage in discussions regarding seat-sharing with its allies, the Congress and Sharad Pawar’s NCP.
The outcomes for the Congress in Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir are likely to complicate these negotiations.
In the meantime, the Prime Minister has also criticized the Congress for allegedly attempting to “spread falsehoods among the Dalit community,” accusing the party of seeking to “reallocate reservations from them to benefit their own vote bank.”
“The entire framework of the Congress is centered on deceiving the public. They attempted to mislead the Dalits, but the Dalit community has recognized that the Congress intends to take away their reservations and redistribute them to their vote bank. Consequently, the Dalit community in Haryana provided unprecedented support to the BJP.”
The Prime Minister has consistently criticized the Congress party regarding this matter, especially leading up to the general election earlier this year, accusing it of intending to modify existing quotas to favor Muslims.
In response, the Congress party has repeatedly refuted these claims.
The Congress’ manifesto for the Lok Sabha election promised to enhance reservations for marginalized communities, including Dalits, beyond the Supreme Court’s 50 percent limit.
This commitment was condemned by the BJP, which labeled it as an “imprint of the Muslim League.”
During his address, the Prime Minister further alleged that the Congress had “instigated” the farmers of Haryana, who joined their counterparts from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and other states in large numbers to protest against the central government’s agricultural laws and demand legal assurance for Minimum Support Prices (MSPs).
“The farmers of Haryana are satisfied with the farmer-friendly initiatives of the BJP. The Congress has also attempted to provoke the youth. They all place their trust in the BJP for a prosperous future… Haryana has demonstrated that they will not succumb to the divisive schemes of the Congress and its urban Naxal associates,” the Prime Minister stated.
