Modi slams Congress over Goa candidate’s remark on Constitution
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hit out at Congress over a remark by its Goa candidate that the Constitution was imposed on the coastal state, and said it was a “ploy” to break the country. Speaking at Lok Sabha election campaign rallies in Sakti and Dhamtari districts of Chhattisgarh, he also accused the Congress of encouraging violence to hide its corruption, and vowed to “root out” Naxalism.
“Congress is not able to digest the participation of Dalits, Adivasis and backward classes in power. Now the party has started a big game. Earlier a Congress MP from Karnataka said south India should be declared a separate country, now a Congress candidate from Goa said the Indian Constitution is not applicable in Goa,” Modi said in Sakti district.“He is saying the Constitution was forced on Goa. He has told this to ‘shehzade’ (apparently referring to Rahul Gandhi)...Isn’t this an insult to Babasaheb Ambedkar? Isn’t this an insult to the Constitution? Is this not tampering with the Constitution of India?” the prime minister asked.
The Congress candidate made this statement publicly and said he told his leader about it, which means his leader has given a tacit consent to it, Modi said, in apparent swipe at Rahul Gandhi.
“It is a ploy to break the country. A huge part of the country has rejected Congress, and therefore the party wants to create such small islands,” the PM claimed. Modi was referring to Congress candidate from South Goa, Viriato Fernandes, who said on Monday that the Indian Constitution was “forced” on the state after it was liberated from Portuguese rule. The PM also countered Congress’ allegation that the BJP was planning to
change the Constitution, saying, “Leave aside Modi and BJP, even Babasaheb Ambedkar himself can not abolish the Constitution.” Appeasement and vote-bank politics were in Congress’ DNA, and for appeasement, it could easily snatch away the rights of Adivasis, Dalits and backward classes, he said. The country had lost hope of ever seeing a Ram temple built at Ayodhya, but his government did that, the prime minister further said. Congress later rejected invitation for the consecration ceremony at the temple, Modi said, adding, “Congress has insulted Chhattisgarh by skipping Ram temple consecration ceremony.” Speaking later in Dhamtari district, the PM said Congress and development can not go hand in hand.
When it was in power in the North East, violent activities could not be brought under control, and as long as it ruled in Chhattisgarh, Naxalite violence kept on rising, Modi said.
“What is the connection between Congress and violence? The answer is corruption. Congress kept on encouraging violence to hide its corruption. People kept dying but Congress kept on filling its coffers,” he alleged.
Claiming that the BJP government brought both corruption and Maoist violence under control, Modi said, “Naxalism has been declining rapidly in Chhattisgarh. I give a guarantee to the parents that I will root out Naxalism. I assure mothers that the lives of their children will not go to waste, and they will not fall into the habit of roaming in the forest with guns. To protect your child, I assure every mother that I will eliminate Naxalism and Maoism.” Members of the opposition’s INDIA bloc were fighting with each other, he said.