Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, referring to him as the party’s “shehzada” (prince), of conspiring to scrap reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in a bid to “weaken” these communities.
Speaking at a rally in Deoghar, Modi claimed the Congress had dangerous intentions and referred to Gandhi’s father, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who had once described reservations as “slavery” and “bonded labour.”
Modi vowed to oppose any efforts to scrap reservations, recalling that Rajiv Gandhi had once issued advertisements advocating for their removal.
“Congress’ shehzada is conspiring to scrap reservations for SCs, STs, and OBCs,” Modi said. “We will thwart any such conspiracy.”
Modi also criticized the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led coalition, accusing it of allowing illegal migrants to settle in the state and become permanent residents. He claimed that this policy was threatening the state’s identity, particularly in the Santhal Pargana region, where he said the tribal population had halved due to infiltration.
“The JMM government has allowed infiltrators to become permanent citizens of Jharkhand,” Modi said. “This is a serious issue that threatens the security of Jharkhand’s daughters, land, and livelihood.”
The prime minister exuded confidence in the upcoming assembly elections, predicting a resounding victory for the BJP-led NDA and promising to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new government.
“Those making calculations in air-conditioned rooms should look at the massive crowds at our rallies,” he said.
Jharkhand election is being held in two phases – November 13 and 20 and counting of votes will be on November 23.