INDIA bloc seeking votes to provide religion-based reservation: PM Modi

Bareilly (UP), Apr 25 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday attacked the INDIA bloc parties, saying they are seeking votes for changing the Constitution to provide religion-based reservation while he wants 400 seats to prevent them from snatching away the quota rights of people belonging to the SC, ST and OBC communities.

Addressing a rally at Aonla in Bareilly district, he also claimed the Congress not only wanted to conduct an economic survey but also survey institutions and offices.

“INDI alliance is seeking votes for changing the Constitution to provide religion- based reservation. I am asking for 400 seats to put a lock on their plans to rob the reservation to the SC, ST and OBC people. I need 400 seats so that no one takes away your rights,” he said.

Referring to backward classes including Yadav, Kushwaha, Maurya, Gurjar, Rajbhar, Teli and Pal communities, the prime minister said, “I will never let the Samajwadi Party and Congress snatch away your right to reservation. This is Modi’s guarantee.”

“If two people in a backward or Dalit family work, they will take away the job of one and give it to those whom they say have the first right on the country’s resources,” Modi said.

He was referring to former PM Manmohan Singh’s 2006 remark that minorities, particularly Muslims, have the “first claim” on the country’s resources.

He said that the Congress and the SP considered themselves bigger than Lord Ram and they also insulted Shri Krishna.

Attacking the opposition over dynastic politics, Modi said that for them their family is everything.

“The SP did not find any Yadav outside family to give tickets in Budaun, Mainpuri, Firozabad, Azamgarh and Kannauj,” he said.

Modi said this Lok Sabha election is to completely free the country of the mentality of slavery of 1,000 years and to give new heights to India’s self-respect.

Seeking to take credit for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, the prime minister said that people from the SP and Congress used to say that the BJP would not tell the date of temple construction.

“With your blessings we also got the temple built and consecration ceremony also took place. We told them the date, time, place, and also invited them. They considered themselves greater than Lord Ram. They rejected the invitation of the consecration ceremony so that their vote bank did not get upset,” he said.

Modi said that the SP and Congress did not even leave Lord Krishna.

“When I had entered sea to see Shri Krishna’s city of Dwarka which was submerged in it, the ‘shahzade’ (Rahul Gandhi) of Congress had made fun of me. The dynastic people of SP are also performing ‘aarti’ for those who insult me,” he said.

The PM said, “The SP, Congress and their INDI alliance can go to any extent for appeasement…there is an uproar in the entire country due to the dangerous intentions of the Congress. The dangerous ‘panja’ (poll symbol of Congress) is going to snatch the rights of the people of the country again.”

He reiterated that the opposition alliance wants to snatch away ‘mangalsutra’ of women.