Sitapur/Varanasi: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said the DNA of Congress, Samajwadi Party, I.N.D.I.A. bloc are similar to Pakistan where people are starving and there is lack of development.
"The poor used to die of hunger during the time of SP-Congress. And now people are starving to death in Pakistan, whereas 80 crore are getting free ration in India," he said during a public meeting at Gandhi Degree College in Sidhauli in the Sitapur Lok Sabha constituency.
Sharpening his attack on the opposition, Adityanath said, "Congress had opportunity for 60-65 years to work for the development of India, but it did not. There was lack of medical facilities during the UPA government. They used to play with people's faith, allowed the poor to die of hunger and drove farmers to suicide."
"The DNA of Congress, SP, I.N.D.I.A. and Pakistan seem to be similar," he added.
The chief minister urged people to ensure that the candidates of such political parties that dared to play with the future of the country lost their deposits in this parliamentary election.
Before embarking on election campaign in different districts, Adityanath offered prayers at Baba Kaal Bhairav and Shri Kashi Vishwanath temples in Varanasi on Sunday morning.
On Saturday evening, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Adityanath participated in the Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat. Following this, both the senior BJP leaders held a late night meeting to finalise preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nomination filing and roadshow scheduled on Monday in Varanasi, according to an official statement.
During his rally in Sitapur, Adityanath said those who are corrupted and do not want India to develop are upset over Prime Minister Narendra Modi securing the position for the third time.
"They (I.N.D.I.A. bloc) oppose India, Lord Ram, marginalised communities, including scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, daughters, and businessmen. So the citizens have decided to re-elect PM Modi with overwhelming majority to realise the dream of a developed and self-reliant India," he added.
"The Congress-Samajwadi Party didn't have a vision for development. The pace of development during their time was terribly slow as all that they were interested in was commission,” he said.
Adityanath reiterated his allegation that if elected to power, the Congress and SP are conspiring to tamper with the reservations for backward classes, scheduled castes, and tribes by altering the Constitution framed by Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar.
He asked the people to not let the opposition interfere with their rights.
He further mentioned that RJD's Lalu Prasad Yadav, a key member of the I.N.D.I.A., had said in Bihar during the UPA government that he would give OBC reservation to the Muslims.
Adityanath emphasised that Ambedkar had explicitly stated that reservations cannot be based on religion.
The chief minister further accused the opposition of aiming to introduce a 'Jizya' tax by imposing inheritance tax on Indians' ancestral property.
Continuing his attack on the opposition, Adityanath said they intended to grant the minorities the freedom of eating beef, therefore promoting cow slaughter in the country, which the nation would never tolerate.
If the state were governed by the SP and the country by the Congress, Ram devotees would have faced bullets, akin to the events of 1990. Those who target Ram devotees, betray Ram, or support terrorists should not govern this nation, he added.