Shah hits out at Cong over NRC, Article 370
BJP chief says those opposing ‘Bharat Mata’ would be put in prison
KAITHAL/MEHAM:UNION home minister Amit Shah hit out at senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday for opposing the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and said those opposing “Bharat Mata” (Mother India) would be jailed.
Speaking at three rallies across poll-bound Haryana, Shah also attacked the Congress for criticising “shastra pooja” (weapons worship) performed by defence minister Rajnath Singh on the first Rafale jet delivered by France to India on Tuesday. He also said all illegal immigrants will be sent back before the next parliamentary elections.
“Rahul Gandhi may hurl any number of abuses at the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and me,” Shah said in Meham, adding, “in case anybody abuses Bharat Mata, he will be sent straight to the jail...if Rahul Gandhi dares to oppose Bharat Mata, he too will be sent to jail.”
Haryana’s 90 seats go to the polls on October 21.
In his three rallies—kaithal, Loharu and Meham — the focus of Shah’s speeches was the abrogation of Article 370 (which bestowed special status to J&K), Pakistan, the National Register of Citizens exercise to weed out illegal immigrants and the law against instant triple talaq.
Shah accused the Congress of speaking in the “tone of Pakistan” and said leaders of the principal opposition party were in the habit of criticising every decision of the government. He also drew a contrast between the administration of chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and that of “corrupt” regimes in the past.
“Should the Shastra Pooja tradition be observed or not? The Congress is opposing this too,” Shah said. He brought up the revocation of Article 370 and questioned Gandhi why he opposed the government move. “Why is he against uniting J&K with the country for which several soldiers from Haryana sacrificed their lives,” the minister asked.
Contrasting the Bharatiya Janata Party’s stand with that of the Congress, Shah said former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had praised then PM Indira Gandhi after India won the 1971 war against Pakistan. He said this was because it was a matter of national interest and not a Congress victory. “Congress leaders should think first what needs to be criticised and what not...i want to ask what is the relationship between Congress and Pakistan,” he added.
He accused former Congress chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda of corruption and said jailed Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader and former chief minister OP Chautala promoted “goondagardi” (hooliganism).
He said Khattar has not only brought transparency in recruitments, but also ended corruption and hooliganism.
Shah said that Haryana was earlier infamous for its low sex ratio and female infanticide. “But I am thankful to the people of Haryana for successful implementation of ‘Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao’ [government scheme for saving and educating the girl child] and improved sex ratio,” he added.
Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said PM Narendra Modi and Shah were afraid of the people’s voice. “We have strongly opposed the antipeople and wrong policies of BJP and that was the reason that the Sultan of Delhi and the rulers of Haryana are afraid of Kaithal’s voice,” Surjewala, who is contesting from Kaithal, said.