Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Congress, and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) during an election rally in Jharkhand’s Baghmara Assembly constituency, promising development and welfare initiatives under the BJP, while criticizing the opposition for its “anti-tribal and anti-reservation” policies.
Amid debates over the implementation of uniform civil code (UCC), he asserted that the policy would indeed be implemented in Jharkhand but it won’t effect the tribals as being claimed by the Congress and its allies.
“These people (JMM, Congress, RJD) are spreading the lie that if UCC comes, tribals will face problems,” he said. “We have decided that UCC will definitely come to Jharkhand and it will come to stop infiltration, but our tribals will be kept out of the ambit of UCC.”
Shah also criticized Congress, calling it “an anti-reservation party,” adding that it seeks to redirect backward class and Dalit reservations to Muslims.
“You don’t worry as long as Modiji’s government is in power, we will not let this happen,” he asserted.
The home minister also accused the Congress of consistently sidelining the backward classes, citing Nehru’s and Indira Gandhi’s alleged dismissal of Kaka Kalelkar and Mandal Commission recommendations.
“The Congress is an anti-backward class party. In 1955, Kaka Kalelkar Commission was formed, which recommended reservation for backward classes, but Nehru ji did not agree. Later Mandal Commission was formed but Indira ji did not accept its recommendations also,” Shah said.
However, Shah added, “when Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of the country, the Backward Classes Commission was given constitutional status and the backward classes got 27 percent reservation.”
Shah took a dig at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, who, Shah claimed, advised Congress to make “only those promises that can be fulfilled.”
“The BJP fulfils the promises it makes. Recently, Congress national president Kharge ji had to say that promises should be made which can be fulfilled. In Karnataka, Himachal and Telangana, Congress made promises which could not be fulfilled,” claimed the minister.
Accusing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of dividing the nation into castes, Shah underscored Modi’s priority to poor, women, youth and farmers – the only four castes he recognises.
“JMM and Rahul Baba have worked to divide the country into castes. Whereas Modi ji has given priority to only four castes of the country… poor, women, youth and farmers,” he said.
Shah further highlighted the development initiatives launched from Jharkhand under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, including the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, Mudra Yojana, and PM Janman Yojana.
“For 10 years, PM Narendra Modi made the land of Jharkhand a medium for poor welfare… along with this, lakhs and crores of rupees were given for the development of Jharkhand,” he stated.
Urging Jharkhand’s people to vote on November 20, Shah drew a contrast between JMM’s wealth-centric policies and the BJP’s focus on uplifting the underprivileged.
“Your one vote will decide whether you want JMM, which works on making itself a millionaire-billionaire, or the Narendra Modi’s government which talks about making poor mothers ‘Lakhpati Didis’,” Shah declared, promising prosperity under the BJP governance.