Will settle into post-retirement life after June 4: Jairam takes swipe at PM Modi over his '100-day' plan for 3rd term

New Delhi: In a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his plan for the first 100 days of his next term, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Tuesday the former can settle into a carefree, post-retirement life after June 4 as he would voted out of office.

Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, the senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP claimed after polling in the opening phase of the general elections, it was clear that the Opposition bloc--INDIA--would secure a decisive mandate.

"The trend that emerged from the opening phase will be reinforced after voting for Phase 3 ends today. Everyone is upset with the 10 years of anyay kaal (era of injustice)," the Congress leader said.

On the BJP getting a walkover in the Surat Lok Sabha seat after the Congress candidate pulled out of the contest, Ramesh said, "We have not won Surat since 1984. Our candidate there was forced to withdraw his nomination through the instruments of fear, coercion and threat. The Independent candidates, too, withdrew nominations from the seat. The BJP's desperation to retain the seat that it considers as a bastion shows that it is rattled. It also points to reality on the ground."

Asserting that PM Modi wouldn't get the mandate that he is after, the Congress leader added, "He is not getting another mandate. This (PM Modi's plan of action for the first 100 days in office in his third term) is all for show. They are saying that they already have a plan in place for his first 100 days (as PM in the third term). However, the outcome on June 4 will make him settle into a carefree and relaxing post-retirement life as he would no longer be PM."

Countering PM Modi's claim on the campaign trail that the ruling Congress in Karnataka gave away a share of the OBC quota to the minority community by enlisting the Muslims in the category of the Other Backward Classes, Ramesh said the reservation to minorities in the state were given on the basis of their economic and social backwardness, and not religion.

"Amit Shah and PM Modi are spreading canards against us every day. The reservation given to minorities in Karnataka was based on economic and social backwardness, and not religion. However, (former PM) Deve Gowda-ji, who is contesting the elections in alliance with the PM, is claiming credit for this today," the Congress leader said.

He asked if PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah would consider lifting the 50 per cent cap on reservation for Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs, as set by the Supreme Court in 1992, in the interest of social justice if they are voted back at the Centre.

"We have promised to conduct a nationwide caste and a socio-economic census and lift the 50 per cent cap on reservation (as imposed by the SC), as most states have crossed this threshold of allocating quotas. However, some leaders deem it unconstitutional. One of the ideals that the Constitution was founded on was social justice and the only way to ensure the same is reservation," Jairam added.