New Delhi: Adhering to his “religion card”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at Bagalkote in Karnataka, on Monday yet again accused the Congress of planning religion-based reservations in the country for the sake of vote bank politics, but asserted that he would not let it happen.
Addressing an election rally at Bagalkote, Mr Modi said this Congress proposal was to appease the minorities as the SC/ST and OBC communities were now with the BJP. “In Karnataka, the Congress has started a campaign to change the Constitution and to snatch away the rights of SC/STs and OBCs. Our Constitution does not accept religion-based reservations. But the Karnataka government has given part of the OBC reservation to Muslims,” he said.
Mr Modi said that the Congress will not settle with this and they had earlier too, in their manifesto, talked about coming out with a law to provide religion-based reservation, and that there was a similar signal in their manifesto this time.
“I want to make my Dalit, SC/ST and OBC brothers and sisters aware about the Congress’ intentions. These people, on the basis of religion, to keep their vote bank safe, are planning to loot your right which was given by Babasaheb Ambedkar and the Constitution,” he said.
Veteran BJP leader B.S. Yediyurappa, BJP candidates and MPs from Bagalkote (Bagalkot) and Vijayapura (Bijapur) --P.C. Gaddigoudar and Ramesh Jigajinagi respectively -- were among those present at the rally.
Noting that most of SC/ST and OBC MPs in Parliament are from the BJP, the Prime Minister said: “So they feel that as the SC/STs and OBCs are with the BJP, to gain the trust of the minorities, they want to loot from the SC/STs and OBCs and give it to the minorities. Will you let this happen?”
“I want to guarantee today to my Dalit, Adivasi and OBC brothers and sisters… I will not let such intentions of the Congress be successful. To protect your rights, your reservations, Modi will go to any extent. I'm assuring you of this,” he said.
Citing a habit among people to forward certain information that comes on various platforms without verifying, Mr Modi alleged that those who have lost elections or have lost (while being in) the fray are using technology to make fake videos. Misusing artificial intelligence, they put out wrong things in my voice in the social media -- this is creating a big threat.
Appealing to people to inform the police or the BJP about such fake videos, promising that legal action will follow, the Prime Minister said that the law of this country will not allow people to play such games with anyone.
Warning those who try to kill innocent people of the country, Mr Modi said: “This is Naya Bharat (New India). Ghar me ghuskar ke maarenge (we will kill inside enemy territory).”
Claiming that he doesn't believe in attacking from the back and fights openly face to face, Mr Modi said he did not hide information about the Balakot air strikes, and disclosed the information about it and the destruction caused to the enemy after the strikes.
Saying the BJP has resolved to make India a manufacturing hub and skill centre, the Prime Minister said that this resolve cannot be accomplished by those enjoying vacations, as it needs vision and determination to strive for it.
Accusing the Congress of loot and asking whether the country can be given to them, he said the grand old party has made Karnataka, where it is in power, the “ATM of its loot”, and in a short span have emptied the state’s coffers.
“The situation is that legislators are not getting funds for development on time and the day is not far when the Karnataka government will be unable to pay (salaries) to its employees,” he said, as he accused the Congress of running a “vasooli gang”, and not the government, in Karnataka.
“In Karnataka, fundamentalist forces have become unbridled”, he said. Referring to the alleged attack on a shopkeeper in Bengaluru for listening to “Hanuman Chalisa” and the bomb blast at a city cafe, he said: “These are not incidents of normal crime, this is terror and fundamentalist mentality. The Congress is trying to protect it to get votes.”
