Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that the Congress Party has been committing a “dacoity” on OBCs’ reservation rights to introduce reservation on religious basis for Muslims, against Constitutional provisions and despite rejection of their moves by courts.
Addressing a BJP election rally in Agra, he said the Constituent Assembly drafting the Constitution had rejected reservation on the basis of religion, but the Congress has a record of insulting the document and its chief architect Babasaheb Ambedkar.
The party has tried to push reservations on religious basis in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and its manifestoes mention the proposal, he said. In Uttar Pradesh too, the Samajwadi Party-Congress INDI alliance, pursuing the politics of appeasement, wants to bring reservation on religion basis.
“Wherever it can do it, it will try to loot the claims of the SCs, STs and OBCs and give them to others,” he said.
Mr Modi said since the courts rejected the Congress moves to introduce reservations on religious basis, it is now trying to do so “by the back door.” The party wants to “steal” from the OBCs’ 27 per cent quota quietly to pursue its objective. The Prime Minister asked the crowds “will you accept this, will you tolerate this?”
The Karnataka Congress government, in one night, included all castes of Muslims within the OBC coverage and allowed them to benefit from the quota. “Is this not dacoity on OBCs’ claims,” he said. Charmed by the policy of appeasement, the Samajwadi Party and the Congress think alike.
“The two boys (Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi) in Uttar Pradesh talk of OBCs, but really want to transfer their share to their favourite vote bank. Will you allow them to do this dishonesty,” he said.
The Congress government at the Centre, before the 2012 UP Assembly elections, too decided to give a part of the OBC share to minorities. But they could not succeed in their objective. The OBCs in UP must understand this game of the SP-Congress, he said.
The prime minister said a new plan of the Congress-INDI alliance has come to light. This plan says “Congress ki loot, zindagi ke saath bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi.(Congress loot, during life and after).” The Congress leaders are quite excited about this plan, he said. Mr Modi said he was not saying this on his own; the party’s top leaders, including the Congress Prince (Rahul Gandhi) are talking about this.
“The party wants your property investigated. The X-ray machine of the Congress Prince will reach your kitchens, your mangal-sutras, whatever gold jewellery you have, the SP-Congress alliance will take that away,” he said.
The Congress-INDI scheme does not stop here, but wants to take your inheritance also. Referring to the inheritance tax proposal attributed to the Congress Party, he said “Your parents have saved something for you. The alliance has proposed the government will take away 55 per cent of your inheritance,” he said.
“Will you allow them to loot your inheritance? More than half as tax will be taken. Out of a four room flat, you will get only two rooms. Out of 10 bighas of land, only five will go to your children. Will you allow your property to go in the hands of the corrupt Hand (election symbol) of the Congress. Are you not angry yet,” he said.
“Before setting their eyes on the SCs’, STs’, OBCs’ claims and mangal-sutras of sisters, they should read the writing on the wall, and hear it carefully, as long as Modi is around, you will have to face Modi before attempting this,” he said.
The Prime Minister declared: “We are determined the corrupt will be investigated, those who looted the poor, that loot money will be returned to the poor. This looted wealth is slowly coming out, in the shape of bungalows and cars, which have been seized.”
He said “The issue now is how to return this looted wealth back to the people. Modi is working hard on this. Their eyes are on the savings of mothers and sisters but I am determined to save them.”
The prime minister said, “I want your support for Viksit Bharat. Many forces don’t like India’s growing capacity. For example, a defence corridor is coming up here, it will help self-reliance of Indian armed forces and manufacture deadly weapons for domestic needs and exports. But defence brokers around the world who benefited by giving bribes to earlier governments are unhappy today, along with those in power who enjoyed their cuts in the defence deals.”