PM dares Congress to pledge no religion-based quota'

New Delhi: Assuring that the BJP government will safeguard the interests of ST, SC and OBC communities, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday challenged the Congress and its INDIA bloc allies to commit in writing that they will not give reservations based on religion. He alleged that the Congress wants to give reservations on the basis of religion and reiterated that he will prevent all such attempts.

Addressing two back-to-back election rallies in his home state of Gujarat, Mr Modi commended the people of Gujarat for not allowing political instability to take root in the state and lauded their decision to reject short-term temptations and maintain stability, which he said has been instrumental in the state's progress.

Speaking at the first election rally in Deesa, Gajarat’s Banaskantha district, Mr Modi said that as long as he is alive, no one can take away the reservation for the ST, SC and OBC communities in jobs and education.

He said: "I challenge the 'shehzada' (prince) of the Congress (referring to Rahul Gandhi), as well as his party and its supporters, to announce they will never misuse reservation in the name of religion, nor will they play with the Constitution or grant reservation in the name of religion. The Congress should commit in writing that they will not give reservations based on religion,"

The Prime Minister asserted that, as long as he is around, he will not allow anyone to "play the game of reservation". "The Congress and its people should listen carefully to the fact that this is Modi. As long as Modi is alive, he will not let you play the game of reservation in the name of the Constitution," he said.

The Prime Minister criticised the Congress party for its lack of vision and commitment to serving the people, citing examples from past elections where the Opposition party resorted to personal attacks instead of addressing substantive issues.

“Even today, the Congress neither has issues nor the passion to work for the people. Do you remember what the Congress' issues were in 2014 (Lok Sabha elections)? What will a chaiwala do? But the country responded to them... Those who once occupied 400 seats were reduced to 40,” he said.
Mr Modi called out the Congress for resorting to desperate tactics in the ongoing elections, including spreading fake videos and misinformation. “The party that ruled the country for 60 years has become a fake factory. What they called ‘Mohabbat ki dukan’ is actually a fake factory. The Congress' videos are fake, the Congress' words are fake, the Congress' promises are fake, the Congress’ slogans are fake and the Congress intentions are fake,” he said, emphasising that the BJP stands firm against such deceitful practices and remains committed to serving the nation with honesty and integrity.

Addressing his second election rally in Sabarkantha, the Prime Minister highlighted the progress made in the region and reiterated his commitment to serve the nation with dedication and integrity.

At the rally, Mr Modi reminisced about the timeless bond between him and the people of Sabarkantha, emphasising that despite the changes over the decades, the love and familiarity remain steadfast. He said, "If your love hasn't changed, how can Modi change?"

Listing out the achievements, Mr Modi highlighted the decisive steps taken by his government, including the historic decision to abrogate Article 370. "The Congress tried to scare the country that if Article 370 is removed, there will be chaos. Article 370 is history now and there is no chaos in the country. The Tricolor is flying high at Lal Chowk in Srinagar," he said.

Mr Modi also talked about issues such as terrorism, triple talaq, CAA etc and emphasised his government's commitment to national security and social justice. He criticised the Congress for its divisive politics and highlighted the role of the Opposition party during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr Modi said: “The situation of the Congress, which ruled for 60 years, is very worrying. They are openly trying to divide the country. The only strategy of Congress and its INDIA bloc is to spread lawlessness and instability in the country. They want to set the country on fire, no matter what, to defame Modi.”

“They did the same during the biggest disaster in the country, the Covid-19 pandemic. Their Covid mission failed and their vaccination mission failed, so they tried to set the country on fire. When we brought the CAA law, they tried to set the country on fire again,” he said.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to campaign for the BJP candidates in Odisha's Berhampur and Nabarangpur Lok Sabha constituencies on May 6. Mr Modi will address his first public meeting at 10 am in Berhampur. while the Nabarangpur rally will be held at about 12.30 am on Monday. Berhampur and Nabarangpur go to the polls on May 13. The Lok Sabha and Assembly elections will be held simultaneously in Odisha.