Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday targeted the Gandhi family during an election meeting in the party’s stronghold here.

Shah began by questioning why the Gandhi family had visited Rae Bareli after remaining absent for five years and sought answers from them.

He asserted that only the BJP could bring development to Rae Bareli. “The money from Sonia Gandhi’s development fund is spent on the party’s vote bank, accusing the Gandhi family of utilising the MP fund in Rae Bareli solely on minorities.”

He also questioned Rahul Gandhi’s decision to abandon the Amethi seat to contest from Rae Bareli.

Addressing a gathering in support of BJP candidate and UP minister Dinesh Pratap Singh in the Congress stronghold, Shah sought answers from the Gandhi family, especially Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. He questioned their absence during various tragic incidents, such as the boiler explosion in NTPC which claimed many lives, the Bachhrawan train accident in which 50 people died, and the drowning of five girls. There was no trace of the family even during the Corona epidemic, he added.

Cornering the Congress on the issue of reservation, the Union Home Minister said that as long as there is even a single BJP MP in Parliament, the reservation for Dalits and backward classes will not end.

He said that the Congress always tells lies. He raised the issue of Section 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and said that the Congress feels that its removal was wrong. “You all tell me whether the removal of Article 370 was wrong,” he asked the people.

“Congress leaders, whether Mani Shankar Aiyar or other leaders are praising Pakistan and saying that talks should be held with Pakistan. How can one talk to someone who kills our soldiers? Not only this, these leaders say that Pakistan says that Rahul Gandhi should become the Prime Minister of the country”, he alleged.

Amit Shah asserted that during the Samajwadi Party’s tenure in the state, there was rampant goondaraj. Today, the mafia raj has completely ended.

The atmosphere at the packed GIC ground was charged with enthusiasm when Shah attacked the Gandhi family.

BJP Sadar MLA Aditi Singh, who was conspicuously absent during the nomination of BJP candidate Dinesh Pratap Singh, and former MLA from Sareni assembly constituency Dhirendra Bahadur Singh were present at the venue of the meeting. Aditi Singh was annoyed with Dinesh Pratap Singh and had even expressed it through social media.

SP MLA Manoj Pandey was not present in this rally. Pandey had switched over to the BJP recently during the Rajya Sabha polls and was a contender for the ticket ticket from Rae Bareli.

After addressing the public meeting, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reached Manoj Pandey’s residence near Gora Bazar. The Home Minister met with Manoj Pandey and his family for about half an hour. It is said that the Home Minister also had his lunch with the SP MLA from the Unchahar Assembly constituency.

Polling in the Rae Bareli seat will be held in the fifth phase on May 20.