‘I have seen the UCC bill, it will not ride over the tribal customs’: Amit Shah in Bharuch

Shah, who was addressing an election rally in Jamkandorna in Rajkot campaigning for BJP candidate Mansukh Mandaviya in the Porbandar Lok Sabha constituency, asserted that PM Modi would make India the world’s third largest economy.

He also added that the Congress and Rahul Gandhi have been “wiped out” in the two phases of Lok Sabha polling that have concluded.

“In 2014 and 2019, the great people of Gujarat voted in support of Narendra Modi and gave all 26 Lok Sabha seats to the BJP, This time, going a step further, even before the counting, (people) have ensured that the account has already been opened in Surat (Lok Sabha seat)… Now, there will be a hat-trick in the remaining 25 seats and in the name of Narendra Modi, the representatives will be sent to the Parliament. When you vote for Mansukh Mandaviya, you see the Lotus symbol next to his name, you must remember that your vote is going straight to Narendra Modiji for his third term as Prime Minister,” he said.

Stating that he had already campaigned in 241 Lok Sabha constituencies across the country, Shah expressed confidence that the BJP has a lead in the seats where two phases of polling have already concluded.

Shah said, “Two phases have been completed. Do you want to know the results? Will you keep it a secret? Do not tell anyone… In both phases Rahul Baba’s (Gandhi) slate has been cleaned up… From East to West and North to South, there is only one resounding sound…that of Modi, Modi, Modi… The whole country has decided to make Narendra Modi Prime Minister for the third term…”

Taking a dig at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge comments on the role of people from states such as Rajasthan and Gujarat to change the status of Jammu and Kashmir, Shah said that despite Kharge being in his 80s, he had “failed to understand” the people of the country.

Shah said, “In these 10 years, Narendra Modi has brought about many beneficiary schemes… but he will be remembered for 1000 years for some of the works he has done. Congress president Shri Kharge says, ‘What have people of Gujarat and Rajasthan got to do with Kashmir’. I want to tell him, ‘Kharge saheb, your age is over 80 years, but you have not yet understood the country’. Every youth of Jamkandorna is ready to lay down his life for Kashmir… You tell me, people of Jamkandorna, shouldn’t Article 370 have been abrogated?”

‘Congress was playing with Article 370 in its lap’

Shah further attacked the Congress for “appeasement politics” and said that for over 70 years, Congress was playing with Article 370 “in its lap as if it were its adopted child”. “But on August 5, 2019, Narendrabhai scrapped Article 370 and made Kashmir a part of India… When I stood up to present the Bill for Article 370, Rahul baba (Gandhi) tried to stop me… I asked why? He said there will be rivers of blood flowing in Kashmir. But it has been five years. This is the Narendra Modi government. Forget about rivers of blood, no one even has the courage to pelt a stone. Modiji is trying to end ‘naxalwad’ and terrorism in the country,” the Union Minister said.

Shah also lashed out at the Congress for digressing from the Ram Mandir issue during the 70 years of its rule as part of ‘vote bank politics’. “Within five years of our second term, we won the case, conducted a bhoomi puja and even completed the ‘pran pratishta’ with a resounding ‘Jai Shree Ram’ chanting. For over 500 years, our Lord Ram remained confined to a tent in an unknown area. Modiji, after 500 years, restored the pride of Lord Ram by building a magnificent Ram Mandir. Not only that, he also reconstructed the Kashi Vishwanath corridor, which was demolished by Aurangzeb, Mahakal corridor, restored Badridham and Kedardham and we have already started renovating Somnath Temple with gold. Without worrying about vote bank politics, he has taken tough decisions,” Shah said

In his address, Shah also guaranteed the people that in his third term, Prime Minister Modi would make India the world’s third biggest economy.

“First ten years, we were filling the potholes created by Congress. Now, we have to lay the foundation of the Viksit Bharat building… Modiji has protected the country and made it prosperous… Congress had left the country in the 11th position of world economies. It is Modiji who has brought it to number 5. I guarantee you that if you make Modi the PM for the third time, he will make it the world’s third economy,” Shah said.

In Bharuch, Shah urges the voters to ‘not make a mistake’

In the BJP-stronghold of Bharuch constituency where it is a contest between two tribal candidates, Amit Shah urged the voters to “not make a mistake” in the upcoming polls and stated that the Narendra Modi-led government had no plans to alter the reservation provisions or apply the Uniform Civil Code to tribal people.

Flanked by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Shah took the ‘urban naxal’ jibe at INDIA bloc candidate Chaitar Vasava, the first-time AAP MLA from Dediapada, to appeal to the electorate to vote for BJP’s six-time MP Mansukhbai D Vasava.

Shah said, “If you make a mistake, some urban naxal will come and destroy the entire tribal belt. I have come here to join my hands and request you to not make a mistake. The Congress and AAP have joined hands to fight in Bharuch and I have no doubts in saying that Congress is an anti-tribal party and AAP does not think of the interest of tribal people but exploits them… I know the likes of Chaitar Vasava and company; if you make a mistake, you will see extortions happening once again in Bharuch like earlier years…”

Shah also attacked the Congress and AAP for spreading falsehood regarding the BJP’s stand on reservation and Uniform Civil Code.

Addressing the largely tribal gathering in Jhagadia, Shah said, “The Congress is an expert at spreading lies and AAP is the ‘Sardar’ (chieftain) of those spreading lies; they came together to spread a lie that if the BJP gets a majority in the Lok Sabha, the government will amend the Constitution to end reservation… I want to tell you that by the grace of God and trust of voters, the BJP has had power since the last 10 years at the Centre and we have always had the power to end reservation. But we have not changed any reservation status”.

The BJP leader said that it is because neither will PM Modi touch the reservation status nor will he allow the reservation of tribal people, Dalits and OBCs be removed. “I have seen the UCC bill, it will not ride over the tribal customs,” he added.

Shah also said that the Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge declined the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha invite as they were “worried about antagonising their vote bank,”