Parbhani/Jalgaon/Dhule: Union Home Minister Amit Shah made a strong statement on Wednesday, declaring that Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, will not be restored, even if the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi were to return from heaven. The BJP leader used the occasion to target the Congress party over Muslim reservations and accused them of deliberately blocking the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya for years.
With just a week remaining before the crucial assembly elections in Maharashtra, Shah intensified his campaigning for the ruling Mahayuti alliance, of which the BJP is a key member. During the day, he addressed three rallies, where he took aim at the Congress and its ally in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Shiv Sena (UBT), PTI reported.
Speaking at a rally in Dhule, Shah criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, stating that even if his descendants were to come into power, Muslims would not receive the reservations intended for Dalits, tribals, and other backward castes. Shah referred to a recent meeting between Muslim scholars (Ulemas) and the Congress president, during which they advocated for reservations for Muslims in education and employment. Shah insisted that if such reservations were to be granted, the quotas for SCs, STs, and OBCs would need to be reduced. "Rahul Baba, not only you, but even if your four generations were to come, they cannot take away the quota meant for Dalits, tribals, and OBCs and give it to Muslims," he said.
The Union Minister also made it clear that the BJP-led government's scrapping of Article 370 in 2019 would not be reversed under any circumstances. "Even if Indira Gandhi were to return from heaven, Article 370 will not be restored," he asserted.
In his speech, Shah labelled the MVA coalition as an "Aurangzeb Fan Club" and emphasised that the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance upholds the values of Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and freedom fighter Veer Savarkar. At another rally in Jalgaon, he warned that if the MVA won the upcoming election, Maharashtra would effectively become an ATM for the Congress. "They will withdraw funds from Maharashtra and send them to Delhi," Shah alleged. In contrast, he promised that a BJP-led government would ensure greater development for the state.
Shah also accused Rahul Gandhi of misleading the public, referring to a recent incident where Gandhi was seen holding a copy of the Constitution of India, which was later discovered to have blank pages. "By showing a fake Constitution, Rahul broke the trust of the people and insulted Babasaheb Ambedkar," Shah remarked. He further criticised the previous Congress-led government under Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, claiming they failed to act decisively against Naxalism and terrorism due to vote bank politics.
The Home Minister went on to highlight the successes of the current BJP-led state government, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis. "After the formation of our government, Maharashtra is now No.1 in FDI inflows in India," he stated, rebutting the Congress's claims that investment in the state had dropped. Shah promised that a future Mahayuti government would focus on the welfare of women, farmers, and other sections of society. He added, "Your one vote will not only form a Mahayuti government, but it will also deposit Rs 2,100 in the account of Maharashtra's sisters, and Rs 15,000 in farmers' accounts, instead of Rs 12,000."
Shah emphasised that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantees were like "patthar ki lakeer" (carved in stone), contrasting this with the Congress's broken promises in states like Telangana, Karnataka, and Himachal Pradesh after the elections.
Targeting NCP leader Sharad Pawar, Shah pointed out that despite serving as both Maharashtra's Chief Minister and a Union Minister for many years, Pawar had failed to give Marathi the status of a classical language.
At his third rally in Jintur, Parbhani, Shah remarked on the repeated failures of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, describing his political career as a series of crashes. "Sonia ji tried to land the plane named Rahul Baba 20 times, and 20 times it crashed. Now, an attempt is being made to land it for the 21st time in Maharashtra. Sonia ji, your Rahul plane is going to crash for the 21st time," he said.
Shah also accused the Congress of deliberately stalling the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya for years. He contrasted this with the achievements of the Modi government, including the completion of the Ram temple and the Kashi Vishwanath corridor in Varanasi, both of which had been obstructed during the Mughal era. "Now, you should be ready to visit Gujarat, as the Somnath temple is also being made of gold," he added.
Concluding his speech, Shah asserted that under Modi's leadership, India had become safer and more prosperous. "I have visited all the regions of Maharashtra – Vidarbha, North Maharashtra, West Maharashtra, Konkan, Mumbai, and Marathwada. Do you want to know the result of the assembly polls? On November 23, the Maha Vikas Aghadi is going to be wiped out from Maharashtra," he predicted.
Finally, Shah criticised Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray for aligning with those who opposed renaming Aurangabad to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, emphasising the BJP's commitment to the ideals of Maharashtra's great historical figures.
