Amit Shah says BJP will not allow reservations to end, slams doubters

Addressing a rally in Khairagarh in Chhattisgarh on Sunday, Amit Shah said that the BJP would not end reservations and wouldn't allow any other party do that either.

In Short

• Amit Shah assures reservations won't be scrapped
• Shah says UCC will be implemented if BJP retains power
• He adds 'One Nation, One Election' will be introduced too

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said the BJP would never allow reservations to end and nor would it let the Congress do so.

Speaking on the BJP's 'Sankalp Patra' (manifesto) released earlier in the day, Shah said when Narendra Modi becomes prime minister for the third time, Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will be implemented and 'One Nation One Election' will be introduced.

Addressing a rally in Khairagarh in Chhattisgarh, Amit Shah asked people to give Modi a third term as prime minister so that the menace of Naxalism can be eliminated in the state in the next three years.

"Today is the birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar. The entire nation is remembering him for his work towards the upliftment of Dalits, Adivasis, backwards and the poor. On this day, people work to take the spirit of the Constitution drafted by him to the grassroots but even on such a day the Congress is busy spreading lies," Shah said.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge is claiming the Constitution will be changed if Modi becomes prime minister again and that party's functionaries allege the BJP will end reservations after coming to power, Shah said.

"I want to make it clear that till BJP is in politics, we will not let anything happen to reservations. We will not allow Congress to end it either. They (Congress) have been doing the business of lies," the Union Home minister asserted.

Prime Minister Modi has strengthened the country and safeguarded it from terrorism, Shah said, adding the NDA government in its 10-year rule had eliminated Naxalism.

Modi had ended Maoist violence in his 10-year rule, but the tail remains in Chhattisgarh, Shah said in Khairagarh, which is part of Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha seat, where BJP's Santosh Pandey is up against former Congress chief minister Bhupesh Baghel.

"During the previous Congress government under Bhupesh Baghel, the fight against Naxalism slowed down in Chhattisgarh. After the BJP came to power, (in the 2023 state assembly polls), Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma (who also holds the Home portfolio) intensified the fight against the menace," he said.

"More than 54 Naxalites have been neutralised, more than 150 have been arrested and more than 250 have surrendered (after the formation of the Sai government). Within 10 years, PM Modi ended Naxalism from the entire country. However, only its tail is left in Chhattisgarh. Give Modi ji a third term and I assure you we will end Naxalism in three years," he said.

Targeting former chief minister Baghel, Shah said the country was witness to several scams committed by the Congress but none of them had been named after a god, a reference to the multi-crore Mahadev betting app scam that is being probed by agencies.

"The 2G scam, Commonwealth Games scam, submarine scam and many more scams were committed by the Congress but none of these had names related to god. Baghel did not spare the name of Mahadev and committed a scam of Rs 508 crore," Shah said.

"Baghel is not tired of committing coal scam, liquor scam, PSC scam, cow dung scam, DMF scam, Gothan scam (during previous Congress rule in Chhattisgarh). Hence, he has come to you again in Rajnandgaon," the Union home minister added.

"Keep the anger of Mahadev betting app in mind and press the lotus (BJP symbol) button with such force that the tremors are felt till Italy," he said in a swipe at the Italian origin of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.

Slamming the Congress, Shah said the Modi government had increased the budget for farmers' welfare to Rs 1.25 lakh crore.

"I want to remind Rahul Gandhi that the amount during Congress rule was just Rs 22,000 crore," he said.

The Congress ruled the country for 75 years, but never made a tribal the president of the country, whereas PM Modi enhanced their prestige by ensuring Droupadi Murmu occupies the top post.

The Modi government abrogated Article 370, ensured construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and carried out surgical strikes to root out terrorism, Shah said.

"The Congress says the people of Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan don't have anything to do with Kashmir. Kharge ji, the youth of Rajnandgaon can sacrifice their lives for Kashmir," he said and went on to ask the crowd if Article 370 should have been scrapped or not.

The crowd roared back that the scrapping of Article 370 was the right decision.

The Congress obstructed the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya for the past 70 years and used diversionary tactics, but Modi performed idol consecration on January 22, Shah said.

"Ram Navami is on April 17. For the first time, Ram Lalla will celebrate his birthday in a grand temple," he said.

When the UPA government under Sonia-Manmohan was at the Centre, terrorists used to enter from Pakistan at will and carry out attacks but under the leadership of Modi, surgical and air strikes were undertaken to eliminate terrorists, he said.

"If anyone can do the work of taking forward the youth, women, farmers and the poor of this country, it is Narendra Modi and the name of the party (that can do it) is Bharatiya Janata Party," he added.

Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha seat will cast ballot during the second phase of voting on April 26.