Congress functioning on PFI agenda: Shah

Bengaluru, May 8: BJP’s principal poll campaigner Amit Shah came down heavily on Congress for functioning on the agenda of the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI) and insulting Lord Hanuman, proclaiming to ban Bajrang Dal, the youth wing of the Sangh-affiliated Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

Illustrating his point, Shah said PFI had placed two demands – to increase the minority budget to Rs 10,000 crore and reservation for minorities. In its election manifesto for the Karnataka election, Congress has “silently” promised to toe PFI’s directives.

Shah, who attended six public meetings and roadshows in Belagavi on Saturday, also accused Congress of keeping Lord Ram “under lock” by not allowing the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya for 70 years. The Congress, in its manifesto, has also insulted ‘Bajrangbali’ (Lord Hanuman), Shah said.

“They don’t stop there. One senior Congress leader asked what is the birth date of Bajrangbali, do you have his birth certificate? The whole country knows his birth date. It’s on Hanuman Jayanti Poornima. You (Congress) don’t know as you only remember appeasement,” Shah said.

Hitting out at the Congress for “insulting” Savarkar, the BJP leader said: “They don’t know history. Rahul baba (Rahul Gandhi), you insult Savarkar. Even if you live for 10 jams (births), you cannot make one-tenth of the sacrifices that Savarkar made.” BJP has installed Savarkar’s portrait at the Assembly hall in Belagavi’s Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, he said.

Shah said Congress, known for its appeasement politics, has also stated that it would revoke the ban on PFI and increase the Muslim quota to 6%.

“From where will you (Congress) get it, whose (quota) will you reduce? Will you reduce the quota of Lingayats or Vokkaligas or SC/STs, clarify it. Congresspeople listen with open ears, you will neither form the government, nor Lingayat’s reservation will get reduced. Only the BJP government will come,” Shah said.

“Congress party for the sake of vote bank indulges in appeasement politics. First, they gave four per cent Muslim reservation, despite knowing that our Constitution doesn’t provide for reservations based on religion. BJP has scrapped this unconstitutional Muslim reservation and increased the quota for Lingayats and Vokkaligas by 2% each,” Shah said.

Shah said BJP doesn’t indulge in vote bank politics, whoever does anti-national work would be put behind bars.

BJP got 11 out of the 18 seats from Belagavi in the last assembly election. Asking voters to make it cent per cent for the BJP this time, he said, “Under Modi’s leadership, the BJP will make north Karnataka the most developed region of the state….give all the 18 seats in Belagavi district to BJP in this election.”

Despite having governments in Karnataka, Goa and at the Centre in the past, Congress did not resolve the inter-state Mahadayi river water dispute, Shah said in 2007, top Congress leader Sonia Gandhi had said in Goa that Mahadayi water will not be given to Karnataka.

“Sonia ji, you left and your government too left. Modi ji came (to power) and the issue has been resolved and Mahadayi water is coming to northern districts of Karnataka,” Shah said, as he accused the Congress of using “lathis and bullets” against farmers.

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