Solapur/Satara: Taking the Congress-led I.N.D.I.A. bloc head on, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asserted that he will not allow the Constitution to be changed till he is alive and will ensure that religion-based reservation does not happen in the country.
The Congress and its alliance partners have been accusing Modi and the BJP of trying to change the Constitution as part of its narrative of 'democracy-vs-dictatorship' debate.
Turning tables, Modi lashed out at the Congress for its "plans of amending the Constitution to give religion-based quota".
"The Congress and its allies must listen to this carefully...till the time Modi is alive and he has the blessings of people, they (Opposition) will not succeed in attempts to give reservation in the name of religion and change the Constitution," Modi said.
The Prime Minister, who is BJP's star campaigner, addressed rallies of Maha Yuti (NDA) in Solapur, Satara and Pune in Maharashtra in the run up to the phase-3 of the Lok Sabha polls.
Attacking the Congress government of Karnataka, Modi reiterated that the Constitution bars reservations based on religion. "The Congress declared all Muslims as OBCs overnight in Karnataka and gave reservations to them. Congress wants to amend the Constitution and apply this formula in the country," he said.
Modi accused the Congress over vote-bank politics saying, “For decades, since the Congress betrayed SC/ST/OBC communities, they have completely distanced themselves from both the Congress and the I.N.D.I.A. bloc. That's why these people are continuously spreading lies that the BJP will change the Constitution, end reservations. I have already said that even if Babasaheb himself came and said to end reservations, change the Constitution, it would not happen. And if our government's intention was to end reservations, then we already have enough numbers. Today, I am demanding more seats from the country so that I have more power to destroy the conspiracies of Congress and its allies."
Modi said that in the past 10 years of BJP-led NDA rule, all the schemes that have been implemented for the welfare of the poor have benefited the Dalits, Adivasis, and the marginalised the most.
"Free ration, free healthcare, pucca houses, toilets, electricity, gas, water—all of these have predominantly reached the most deprived sections of the society. Our government has reached every household, every village to connect SC/ST/OBC families with these schemes," Modi asserted.
Taking a tough stance against the grand old party, Modi said that Congress didn't even let Babasaheb's Constitution be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir.
"By implementing Article 370, Congress insulted the country's Constitution. When the NDA government removed Article 370, it became the biggest guarantee of social justice. For the first time in Jammu and Kashmir, SC/ST/OBCs and women have received the same rights that Babasaheb envisioned for the country. This is Modi's track record of social justice. That's why the entire opposition alliance is panicking," said Modi.
Slamming the I.N.D.I.A. opposition for what he described as '5 years, 5 PMs' formula, Modi said, “On one hand, there's Modi, who has been tested for 10 years. On the other hand, within the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, there's a fierce battle going on in the name of the leader. Now, these people have come up with a formula of '5 years, 5 PMs'. You might have heard, the 'fake Shiv Sena' has said that the Prime Minister's post is not limited to one, there are several claimants in every party. Can you tell me, can the country function with a formula like '5 years, 5 PMs'?”
Talking about how the Centre has given "unprecedented strength to social justice", Modi said, “In its 60 years, the Congress continuously attempted to hinder every right of the SC/ST/OBC categories. But Modi's connection with you is from the heart. We have accorded constitutional status to the OBC Commission. Reservation for OBCs has been implemented in medical exams. It is the BJP that has extended reservations for SC/ST for 10 years. Without taking away anyone's rights, we have also provided 10 per cent reservation to the poor. In medical and engineering studies, we have provided options for Indian languages like Marathi, so that the dreams of poor, SC/ST/OBC youths can also be fulfilled.”
Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Track the latest election updates with DH
Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels | Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks