Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned people at an election rally in Solapur on Tuesday that the Congress is conspiring to destroy the job reservation policy which is based on the Constitution.

“The crown prince goes abroad and says openly that reservations will be stopped. The intention of Congress to destroy reservations is not new. There used to be a time when Congress openly issued huge advertisements against reservations in newspapers along with its party symbol. The party also used bad language against the SCs, STs, and OBCs. Today, as Dalits, OBCs, and Adivasis unite, the Congress is unhappy. They know that if they all unite, the royal family of the Congress will never be able to rule. I wish to warn you that the Congress wishes to watch Dalits, OBCs, and Adivasis fight among themselves,” Modi said.

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“Will you allow this conspiracy of the Congress to succeed? To ensure that Congress never succeeds in its conspiracy, we must remain united. Hum Ek Hain, Toh Safe Hai. You can compare the Mahayuti’s track record of development to the track record of the Congress. So I appeal to you to elect the candidates of the BJP-backed Mahayuti in Maharashtra,” he said.

The PM said, “You have to remember that the vehicle in which the Maha Vikas Aghadi is travelling has no wheels or brakes. They are also fighting with each other about who will drive the vehicle. The Aghadi is the most unstable vehicle because these people are wasting time in fighting among themselves. Already there is a fight to become the Chief Minister. If this is their condition before the election, it is clear that the MVA will never be able to give Maharashtra a stable government”.

Modi said the people of Solapur have witnessed the BJP-backed Mahayuti government’s development work. The progress of Solapur which was stalled for decades was completed by the Mahayuti government, he said. “A few days ago, I dedicated the expansion of the Solapur airport to the people of Solapur. I have visited here more than any other PM,” he added.

He said that it is the BJP-backed Mahayuti government that created the Palkhi Mahamarg in Solapur. “Today, Solapur has 4-lane highways, and Vande Bharat trains run from the city. All of this has been made possible by the Mahayuti government. We are heading from ‘Viksit Maharashtra’ to ‘Viksit Bharat’. For the next five years, Maharashtra needs a stable government focused solely on the development of this state,” he added.

He said that the Congress ruled India for decades, but their only intention was to keep problems alive and trap people in them. “They actually enjoyed watching you suffer,” Modi said. “Due to such policies, the people will never forgive the Congress and its associates for ensuring that this area remained without irrigation for such a long time,” he added.

“We have focused on providing irrigation facilities in Solapur, and as a result, the water table is rising in Solapur. We have waived off the electricity bills of farmers and are working towards ensuring that they never have to pay for electricity. We plan to ensure that irrigation pumps are solar-powered in all farms. We have also focused on increasing the income of farmers. We have increased the sugarcane price to Rs 3,150. Besides, through the ethanol blending policy, we are creating new revenue opportunities for farmers,” he said.

“During the Congress government’s years in power, only 2 to 3 per cent of ethanol was blended into motor fuel. After the BJP formed the government in 2014, we increased ethanol blending to 15 per cent, and we aim to raise it to 20%. Due to this policy, sugarcane farmers are currently receiving around Rs 80,000 crore,” he said.

He said that farmers in Maharashtra benefit from both the central government’s PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme and the Mahayuti state government’s Namo Shetkari Yojana. In the coming five years, their profits will go up and they will also get new earning opportunities, he said.

“Today, if anybody can take Maharashtra forward, it’s the women. Our Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana is being discussed widely. After the money began reaching women, the MVA even went to court to stop this scheme. The BJP’s vision is to focus on women-centric development. The biggest beneficiaries of the PM Awas Yojana are women, with residences registered in their names. We plan to turn 3 crore women into ‘Lakhpati Didis’ who will earn more than Rs 1 lakh every year,” he said.