Chhindwara: In a veiled swipe at Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said a brother and sister duo whose “origins are in Italy” won’t be able to understand the development done by the Narendra Modi government.
Addressing a public meeting at Junnardeo (ST seat) in Chhindwara district of poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, Shah said the people of the state will celebrate three Diwalis this year including the one for BJP’s victory and another for the installation of Lord Ram Lalla’s idol in Ayodhya temple by PM Modi.
Chhindwara is the pocketborough of Madhya Pradesh Congress president and former chief minister Kamal Nath who is in the fray for the November 17 assembly elections.
When the world is praising India’s growth story, the Congress is unable to see any positivity in the country, the BJP MP alleged.
“The brother and sister (Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra) while roaming in poll-bound states keep asking what has been done (by the BJP-led Centre), but they won’t be able to understand this (development) as their origin is in Italy. Those having their origin in India will clearly understand this,” Shah said.
The BJP had often raked up the Italian origin of Sonia Gandhi, mother of Rahul and Priyanka.
“People of Madhya Pradesh will celebrate three Diwalis this year. The first one will be the festival of lights, second one is when the government will be formed in the state (after the counting of votes on December 3). A third Diwali will be celebrated when the idol of Lord Ram Lalla will be established in Ram Mandir by the hands of the prime minister,” Shah said.
Targeting Rahul Gandhi, Shah said Rahul Baba used to remark that the BJP will only talk about the temple (in Ayodhya) but won’t tell its date.
“Now see, Modi ji has not only constructed the temple but has also told the date (of the consecration). Just go there for darshan and you will be satisfied,” he said.
A day before, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said in Chitrakoot that the Ram temple in Ayodhya will be ready soon and also mentioned the invitation given to him by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra for the consecration ceremony, which is expected to take place on January 22.
Shah alleged that Congress tried to put a roadblock in the construction of Lord Ram’s temple in Ayodhya since Independence.
“It misled the people and dilly-dallied on the issue. But after becoming the prime minister and getting a huge mandate for the second time, Modi laid the foundation of the temple in a grand manner,” he said, adding that the Congress lacks unity and those who do politics for their families can’t do any good to the country.
“Not only the (Ram) temple is being constructed, but Modiji has also abrogated article 370 (granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir), nullified triple talaq, conducted air strike and surgical strikes, launched the moon mission, and provided 33 per cent reservation to women among other things,” Shah said.
By banning the “dreaded terror organization”, the Popular Front of India, Modiji has finished all the possibilities of the emergence of terrorism in the country, the Union home minister said.
He also listed several measures undertaken by the Modi government for the uplift of tribals in the last nine years.
“In a first, a tribal woman from Odisha (Droupadi Murmu) has become the President of the country,” he added.
The BJP has fielded Nathan Shah Kawreti from the Junnardeo constituency against sitting Congress MLA Sunil Uikey who had defeated the former in the past. Later Kawreti contested Lok Sabha elections from Chhindwara unsuccessfully.
Targeting Nath, Amit Shah alleged the Congress leader is linked to several scams worth crores and “he is dreaming of becoming the chief minister”.
“Senior leaders Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh are bent upon tearing off each other’s clothes,” he said in an apparent reference to an earlier video of Nath wherein the latter asked angry protesters to “go and tear off clothes of Digvijaya” over the denial of poll tickets in Madhya Pradesh.
Shah claimed the families of the Gandhis, Kamal Nath, and Digvijaya Singh hold sway in Madhya Pradesh, “but things got spoiled and Digvijaya received a slap on his face”.
Shah said the BJP has always been supported by tribals.
“It (the BJP) has the largest MLAs and ministers (from tribal communities). Tribals have always blessed the BJP under the leadership of Modi who renamed Habibganj railway station in Bhopal after tribal queen Rani Kamlapati,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Shah kicked off his three-day visit to Madhya Pradesh by paying homage at the statues of legendary Gondwana tribal rulers Shankar Shah and his son Raghunath Shah at their memorial near Rani Durgavati Hospital in Jabalpur.
The father-son duo, who led an uprising against the unjust and oppressive British and were tied to cannons and blown to pieces, are widely hailed for their valour and patriotism.
The Union home minister then chaired a division level party meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party in connection with the November 17 Assembly polls.
In the next two days, Shah will tour Chhatarpur, Rewa, Shahdol, Ujjain, Indore and Gwalior districts to address divisional meetings, public gatherings and take part in different functions, party functionaries said.
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