HYDERABAD, May 9: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said the 2024 election is Rahul Gandhi vs Narendra Modi and that it is a contest between vote for development and “vote for jihad”.
Addressing an election rally in Bhongir Lok Sabha constituency of Telangana, he said the election is between Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Bharatiya guarantee” against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s “Chinese guarantee”.
Describing the Congress, BRS and AIMIM as a triangle of appeasement, he said the parties don’t let Ram Navami procession to take place and that they also oppose CAA.
“These people don’t allow the celebration of ‘Hyderabad Liberation Day’ (September 17). These people oppose CAA. These people want to run Telangana on the basis of Sharia and Quran,” he said. BJP would secure nearly 200 seats in the three phases of Lok Sabha elections held so far and Telangana needs to vote to help the party cross the target of 400 seats, Shah said.
Observing that BJP had won four of the 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana in 2019, he asked Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to realise that BJP would win more than 10 seats in the present elections.
The double digit score in Telangana would make PM Modi cross 400 seats, he predicted. Referring to Congress’ allegation that BJP would change the Constitution and abolish reservations, he said Congress wants to fight elections by telling lies.
Congress says Modi would scrap quotas but he has not done so despite being in power for the last 10 years with full majority, he said. But, Congress in Telangana robbed the reservations of SC, ST and OBCs by providing four percent reservation to Muslims, he alleged. Shah said BJP would end Muslim reservation and increase SC, ST and OBC quotas, if they came to power.
“Modi ji does what he says. The guarantees of Rahul baba (Gandhi) don’t last even till sunset,” he said. At the time of Telangana assembly polls, Rahul Gandhi had promised Rs two lakh farm loan waiver, Rs 15,000 every year for farmers, Rs 12,000 annually for agriculture workers, Rs 500 bonus on MSP for paddy farmers, Rs five lakh loan to students without guarantee, ‘scooty’ to college going girls and international schools in every tehsil, but they have not been implemented, Shah said.
Congress withheld the construction of Ram temple for 70 years, but Modi, in just five years, won the case, performed ‘bhumi puja’ and later participated in the consecration, he said.
AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge said that though people from Rajasthan and Telangana don’t have anything to do with Kashmir, the people of Bhongir would be ready to sacrifice their life for the sake of Kashmir, he said.
Highlighting the abolition of Article 370, Shah also said Modi has ended terrorism, Naxalism and made the country secure. He alleged that AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, BRS and Congress are “ABC of appeasement”.
Modi removed triple talaq, but Congress, BRS and AIMIM want to bring it back, he said, adding that the parties also boycotted the consecration of the Ram temple.
He also alleged that Revanth Reddy made Telangana the “ATM” of Congress. Shah highlighted the various development works undertaken by the Modi Government in the Bhongir LS constituency, including establishment of AIIMS. (Agencies)
