‘NDA has followed Constitution to the T’

Staff Reporter and

Kanhan Correspondent

POLL campaigning has picked up pace in the region with Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing two public meetings in Vidarbha within a couple of days. After the rally in Chandrapur on Monday, Narendra Modi addressed a huge public rally at Kanhan in Nagpur district on Wednesday. Launching a scathing attack on Congress and INDI Alliance’s argument that his Government would change the Constitution, Modi said, “The Opposition has no agenda. They are expressing this fear since long. They said the same thing when Atal Behari Vajpayee had formed Government. In fact, during their 60-year rule, the Congress has never respected the Constitution, not even implemented 70 per cent of it. It is National Democratic Alliance (NDA) that has shown 100 per cent allegiance to the Constitution and followed it to the T.” Modi went on to say, “During their regime they did not even think of honouring Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar with Bharat Ratna which our Government did now. Their allegation is baseless.” The PM’s speech at Kanhan’s Brooke Bond ground was often punctuated by chants of “Modi Modi” from the gathered crowd. The rally was organised in favour of party candidates Nitin Gadkari and Sunil Mendhe from Nagpur and Bhandara-Gondia constituencies respectively as well as Raju Parve, Shiv Sena (Shinde) candidate in Ramtek.

Modi further said, “The Congress claims that democracy is in trouble. Did the Congress not insult democracy during Emergency?” The Prime Minister dared the opponents to prove that his Government had twisted the Constitution in last 10 years. “They (Opposition parties) could not tolerate that the son of a poor family became the Prime Minister. Congress has been conspiring to keep SCs, STs and OBCs away from development and tried to finish the legacy of Dr Ambedkar,” said Modi without mincing words. He further claimed that when NDA made daughter of a tribal family the President of India, the INDI Alliance did not like it. “No one can negate the fact that we made people from OBC communities ministers in record numbers. We gave constitutional status to OBC Commission. NDA Government even created a separate Tribal Ministry,” he pointed out. “When Article 370 was abrogated in Kashmir, the Congress party questioned what was its relevance to other States? The fact is that, because of that move of ours, all categories got constitutional rights in Kashmir. My SC/ST brethren did not have reservation in Kashmir. The Congress party opposed Citizens Amendment Act (CAA). They are aware of the fact that Dalit and Bouddha are the real beneficiaries of CAA,” Modi said.

Reiterating the NDA mantra of ‘Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas’, Modi assured people, “We guarantee you a secular Government. Whatever we had promised, be it homes to the poor, free treatment in hospitals, free food or water, we fulfilled all of it. We introduced various schemes for SCs, STs and OBCs and today people of these communities are major beneficiaries. Today 25 crore countrymen have come out of poverty.” Invoking the recent religious fervour created with installation of Lord Ram’s idol at Ayodhya he said, ““Unite and vote in the name of the country. Remember, if the INDI Alliance becomes strong then it would divide this country. This Ram Navmi in Ayodhya, Ramlala will bless people in His own temple. This moment came after 500 years. For the consecration of Ramlala, we had invited INDI Alliance members but they did not turn up for the event. This shows their intentions. They are trying to break the power of Hindu dharma.” Modi then went on to ask people if they can do something for him. When people responded in a loud “Yes” he asked them to visit every home and tell people that Modi had come to Ramtek and conveyed his regards to them. “They will bless me and their blessings will give energy to me to do more work for you,” he said in front of the cheering crowd.

CM Eknath Shinde, Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, NCP (Ajit Pawar) Working President Praful Patel, Republican Party of India President Ramdas Athawale, BJP State President Chandrashekhar Bawankule, BJP District President Sudhakar Kohale, Rajya Sabha Member Ashok Chavan, Raju Parve, MP Krupal Tumane, Peoples Republican Party President Jogendra Kawade, MLA Ashish Jaiswal, MLA Sameer Meghe, ex-MLA Ashish Deshmukh, Dr Parinay Fuke, Shiv Sena Vidarbha Organiser Kiran Pandav, ex-Corporator Virendra Kukreja and others were seated on the dais. Earlier Shinde, Fadnavis and then Gadkari and Parve felicitated Modi. Virendra Kukreja gave idol of Jhulelal to Modi on behalf of Sindhi community to mark the occasion of Jhulelal Jayanti on Wednesday. Modi wished him for Sindhi Bhasha Divas and Jhulelal Jayanti. Shinde, Fadnavis and Gadkari appealed people to vote for Mahayuti to strengthen Modi’s hands.