Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the Congress party has always believed it was “born to rule” India, criticising its approach to governance and its treatment of marginalised communities.
Addressing a rally in Chimur, Maharashtra, ahead of the state assembly elections on November 20, Modi claimed that Congress, which he referred to as a “shahi parivar” (royal family), had historically blocked the progress of Dalits, backward classes, and Adivasis.
“This mentality is why, after Independence, the Congress never allowed these communities to advance,” Modi said. “The Congress gets irritated with the topic of reservations,” he added, recalling an advertisement from the 1980s when Rajiv Gandhi led the party, which questioned the special rights granted to Dalits and other marginalised groups.
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Modi also accused Congress of fostering division within tribal communities, saying that if tribes were divided by caste, their identity and strength would be weakened. He urged voters to remain united, warning that the Congress could take away reservations if the community became fragmented.
Turning to the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, Modi slammed it for being a “biggest player of corruption” and for impeding the state’s development. “Maharashtra’s rapid development is beyond the reach of the Aghadi,” Modi said.
“They have done a PhD in putting a brake on developmental works. The Congress has a double PhD in it,” he added.
Modi also reiterated his government’s stance on the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, a move that he said fully integrated the region with the Indian Constitution. “Congress and its allies politically benefited from violence and separatism,” he said.
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Modi expressed confidence that the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance would retain power in Maharashtra,
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