Ahead of the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched a sharp attack at the Congress-led INDIA bloc for passing a resolution in the Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly seeking the restoration of Article 370.

He called on the people to remain united and foil the grand old party’s game plan to divide them on the basis of castes. “As soon as Congress and the INDI alliance got the chance to form a government in Jammu and Kashmir, they started with their conspiracies against Kashmir… Two days ago, they passed a resolution in the J&K legislative assembly to restore Article 370,” Modi said while addressing a public rally in Maharashtra’s Dhule in the run-up to the state assembly polls.

The resolution, opposing the revocation of Article 370 and demanding the restoration of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, was passed on Wednesday by a voice vote with all parties barring the BJP supporting it.

Modi further said that the BJP MLAs were thrown out of the Union Territory’s assembly following their protest against the banners supporting Article 370 in the assembly. “Banners were shown in the Jammu and Kashmir parliament in support of article 370. The Congress alliance passed a resolution to implement Article 370 there again… Will the country accept this? When the BJP MLAs protested against this with all their might, they were picked up and thrown out of the Assembly. The entire country will have to understand the truth of Congress and its alliance” PM Modi said.

The prime minister further said, “Maharashtra should understand Congress conspiracies in Jammu and Kashmir. The country won’t accept this resolution on Article 370. Till Modi is there, Congress won’t be able to do anything in Kashmir. Only Bhim Rao Ambedkar’s Constitution will run there. No power can bring back 370,” Modi asserted.

Lashing out at the Congress party, PM Modi alleged that the grand old party’s agenda is to create a rift between all the tribal communities of the country. “Congress’ agenda is to create a rift between all the tribal communities of the country. When Congress tried this conspiracy with religious groups, it led to the partition of the country. Now Congress is inciting SC, ST, and OBC categories against each other. There can be no bigger conspiracy for India. You will stay strong as long as you stay united. ‘Ek hai toh safe hai,” said PM Modi.

Modi also came down heavily on the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in Maharashtra dubbing it as a vehicle without wheels or brakes and asserted that only the ruling Mahayuti can provide good governance. “MVA’s ‘gaadi’ has neither wheels nor brakes and there’s a fight as to who will sit on the driver’s seat. Their only aim in politics is to loot people. When people like MVA form government, they cause hindrances in every government policy and development,” the prime minister said.

He said the people of Maharashtra have already seen MVA’s misgovernance for two-and-a-half years.

He lauded the development works carried out by the Mahayuti government in the state and said the momentum would continue once their government is formed again in the state. “BJP, Mahayuti, and each candidate of Mahayuti need your blessings. I assure you that the speed of development in Maharashtra in the last 2.5 years will be continued. We will take the growth of Maharashtra to new heights in the next five years. It is only the Mahayuti that can provide the good governance that Maharashtra needs,” Modi said.