Maharashtra Elections 2024: Ahead of Maharashtra Assembly elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday addressed a rally and asserted that even if Indira Gandhi returned, “Article 370 won’t be restored”.
Addressing a rally in Maharashtra’s Dhule, ahead of November 20 polling, Shah said that no one, even Indira Gandhi from heaven, won’t be able to restore the provision.
Article 370, which granted special status to the erstwhile state Jammu and Kashmir, was abrogated on August 5, 2019.
On Congress leader Sushilkumar Shinde’s statement that he was scared during his visit to Srinagar’s Lal Chowk when he was the Union home minister, Shah said, “Shinde ji, go to Kashmir now along with your grandkids, no harm will come to you.”
“During 10 years of the Sonia-Manmohan regime, terrorists used to come freely from Pakistan and trigger bomb blasts here,” Shah said.
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‘Muslims won’t get reservations meant for SCs, STs and OBCs’
Amit Shah also took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and said he should remember that even if his “fourth generation were to come”, Muslims won’t get reservations meant for SCs, STs and OBCs.
“A few days ago, Ulemas met the president of Congress party and said that Muslims should be given reservation. If reservation has to be given to Muslims, then reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs will have to be cut. Rahul Baba, not only you but even if your four generations were to come, they cannot cut the quota meant for SCs, STs and OBCs and give it to Muslims,” Shah said, PTI reported.
His statement comes amid a quota conflict in the poll-bound state. A few days ago, during the manifesto release of the BJP, Amit Shah alleged that the Congress intends to cut the reservation of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes and give it to Muslims, and warned the people of the state to be alert about such appeasement politics.
“Recently I saw reports and documents which revealed that a delegation of Muslim clerics submitted a letter regarding several demands for Muslim community. One of the demands is to approve the Muslim reservation and state Congress leader Nana Patole has agreed to these demands and gave the acknowledgment to them. In the Constitution of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, there is no provision for reservation based on religion. Congress intends to cut the reservation of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes and give it to Muslims. Is it acceptable to the people of Maharashtra?” Shah had said earlier.
Meanwhile, describing the opposition’s Maha Vikas Aghadi grouping in Maharashtra as Aurangzeb Fan Club during Wednesday’s rally, Shah said the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance abides by the ideals of Shivaji Maharaj and Veer Savarkar.
“This MVA alliance only wants to appease and Uddhav ji has forgotten the principles of Balasaheb Thackeray for the sake of power,” Shah said, PTI reported.
“I have travelled all over Maharashtra and can say with confidence that Mahayuti will sweep the November 20 assembly polls,” he said.
Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly will take place in a single phase on November 20. The results will be announced on November 23.
(With inputs from PTI)