Gujarat: Sonia has launched ‘Rahul Yaan’ for 21st time, will fail again, says Shah

Bodeli: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday took a jibe at Rahul Gandhi over his nomination from Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency instead of Amethi, saying the “Rahul Yaan” will fail again for the 21st time.

Addressing poll rallies in Gujarat, Shah said Gandhi is contesting from Rae Bareli after realising that he will lose from Wayanad constituency in Kerala.

“Sonia Gandhi launched ‘Rahul Yaan’ for the 21st time yesterday but it will fail again,” he said in an apparent reference to the Congress leader filing nomination from family bastion Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh on Friday.

Shah addressed two rallies in tribal-dominated Bodeli in Chhotaudepur and Vansda in Valsad constituencies in Gujarat and another gathering in the Union Territory of Daman and Diu.

He also targeted the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) dubbing it an “urban Naxal party”.

“The Congress is fighting elections under their leader Rahul Gandhi. When he lost elections from Amethi, he went to Wayanad. As he has realised that he will lose from Wayanad this time, he is also contesting from Rae Bareli instead of Amethi,” he said, adding that the problem is with you (Rahul) and not with the seats.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Gandhi contested from the Gandhi pocket borough of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh and Wayanad. He lost the Amethi seat to Union minister Smriti Irani of BJP.

“Rahul Baba, take my advice. The problem is with you, not with the seats. You will lose from Rae Bareli also, by a huge margin. Even if you run away, people will find you,” Shah said while campaigning for Jashubhai Rathva, the BJP candidate for Chhota Udaipur (ST) constituency.

Dubbing AAP an “urban Naxal party”, Shah said the Maoist menace would raise its head in the region if the Opposition candidate won from the Valsad Lok Sabha seat.

The AAP is fighting the Gujarat polls in alliance with the Congress and fielded its Vansda (ST) MLA Anant Patel from the Valsad LS constituency.

Speaking at a rally in support of BJP candidate Dhaval Patel in Vansda, Shah said, “The Congress and the urban Naxal party AAP have come together to disturb the peace of this tribal region. Do you want extortion to start in Valsad? Will you allow Naxalism to raise its head in our forest areas?”

“Naxalism and urban naxalism will begin here if their (INDIA bloc) candidate wins, Shah asserted.

He said “Rahul Baba and company” were spreading a lie that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will abolish reservations if he wins another term.

Addressing a gathering at Bodeli, Shah accused the opposition INDIA bloc of “robbing” the quota meant for Dalits, tribals and backward classes and giving it to Muslims.

“Rahul Baba, Modi had a full majority in 2014 and 2019. But, he never touched the reservation meant for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes. This is Modi’s guarantee that till the BJP is in power, no one can touch your reservation,” Shah said.

He alleged the INDIA bloc robbed the quota meant for the Dalits, tribals and backward classes.

“After forming the government in Karnataka, they (Congress) gave 4 per cent reservation to Muslims by robbing the 4 per cent quota meant for OBCs, and in Andhra Pradesh, they gave five per cent reservation to Muslims, which effectively reduced the quota meant for OBCs,” Shah claimed.

If the Opposition comes to power, they will snatch the quota meant for these classes and allocate it to Muslims, he said.

“I want to ask the Opposition if they want to take back the reservation given to Muslims in those states. This is like ‘ulta chor kotwal ko dante’ (pot calling the kettle black). They were the ones who snatched the reservation, but they are levelling allegations against PM Modi,” Shah said.

He alleged that Congress had tried to stall the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and opposed the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.

“We had sent an invitation to Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and even Arvind Kejriwal for the consecration of the Ram temple. But no one came. Why? Because they are afraid of their vote bank. I hope you know who their vote bank is. But we are not afraid of that vote bank,” he said.

Shah said PM Modi has eliminated terrorism from the country in the last ten years.

“There was a time when infiltrators from Pakistan used to carry out bomb blasts in the country every day and run away, but the previous Congress governments never took steps, fearing it would upset their vote bank. It was Modi who eliminated terrorists by entering their houses,” the Union Home Minister said.

Shah claimed the “misinformation” spread by Rahul Gandhi about the vaccination drive during the coronavirus pandemic led to the death of many tribals.

“Rahul asked tribals not to take the vaccine and termed it as the Modi vaccine. However, both brother and sister (Priyanka Gandhi) secretly took the vaccine at night. They were not ashamed of playing politics during the times of COVID-19,” he alleged.

Addressing a campaign rally in Daman city, Shah said the ongoing electoral contest is between PM Modi, the son of a poor tea-seller, and Rahul Gandhi who was born with a “silver spoon”.