Shah: Cong opposing NRC to retain illegal votebank
Mocks Rahul’s Italian roots; sounds BJP’s poll bugle
Sounding the poll bugle for Rajasthan Assembly elections, BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday questioned the Congress’ stand on the issue of illegal migrants in Assam and targeted Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for demanding a report card from the Modi government on its performance.
Flagging off the 58- day “Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra” of chief minister Vasundhara Raje, Mr Shah used the National Register of Citizens ( NRC) in Assam to attack the Congress.
“Rahul Baba will come here later this month, you must ask him why he wants to keep Bangladeshi intruders in the country. The Congress wants them to stay here because they are its vote bank,” Mr Shah and tore into Mr Gandhi for seeking a report card from the Modi government and questioning its slogans like “Achche Din” and “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas”.
“Congress leaders here have said that they will ask 40 questions during the yatra. Rahul baba humse chaar saal ka kya hisaab maangte ho? Desh ki janta aapse chaar peedhi ka hisaab maang rahi hai ( Rahul why are you seeking a report card from the BJP for its four years, public is seeking from you the account of works done by your four generations),” said Mr Shah.
Taking a dig at the Italian roots of Mr Gandhi’s mother, Sonia Gandhi, Mr Shah said, “Rahul baba, I do not know Italian, otherwise I would have told you how much we have done for the people.”
In a bid to woo dalit voters, Mr Shah referred to restoring the stringent provisions of the SC/ ST Act and hit out at the
Opposition for spreading rumours that the BJP government had weakened the law.
He said that the Modi government wants to give statutory status to the OBC Commission. “When Rahul Baba comes to Rajasthan, ask him whether the Congress in
will support the bill he Rajya Sabha or not,” said.
The BJP president said that 116 schemes for the poor were launched by the Modi have been implemented on the ground by the Raje government.
Earlier, Ms Raje asked people to re- elect the BJP government if they want the state’s development to continue.
As a prelude to polls that are likely to be held in December, the chief minister on Saturday set off on a 6,000 km road trip that will cover 195 Assembly constituencies in the next 40 days. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the concluding rally in Pushkar.
In the 2013 Assembly polls, the BJP won 163 out of the 200 total seats. The Congress won 21 seats.
The Congress took exception to Mr Shah’s personal recently against Mr Gandhi.
State Congress president Sachin Pilot said that Mr Shah’s undignified comments have proven that the BJP has nothing to tell people.
“The language used by BJP president was bereft of political civility. The kind of demeaning language used reflects narrow mindedness. It’s being done to avoid answerability,” Mr Pilot said.
As part of the Congress’ plan to throw one question at the chief minister during her 40- day yatra, Mr Pilot said, “Should we assume that you debate and care for temples only to take political benefit during elections?”
Referring to temple visits by BJP leaders, he said that the saffron party has been doing politics on issues related to faith and exploited people’s sentiments for political purpose. “Under the BJP government more than 300 historical temples were demolished and statues stolen during shifting to different places,” he alleged.