Janjgir-Champa/Sakti (Chhattisgarh): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday lashed out at Congress over a remark by its Goa candidate that the Constitution was imposed on the coastal state and said it was a "ploy" to break the country.
Speaking at an election rally in Chhattisgarh's Sakti district, Modi said Congress, which 'divides the country in the name of religion,' has been indulging in appeasement since day one after independence.
"Congress is not able to digest the participation of Dalits, Adivasis and backward classes in power. Now the party has started a big game. Earlier a Congress MP from Karnataka said south India should be declared a separate country, now a Congress candidate from Goa said the Indian Constitution is not applicable in Goa," he said.
"He is saying the Constitution was forced on Goa. He has told this to 'shehzade' (apparently referring to Rahul Gandhi)...Isn't this an insult to Babasaheb Ambedkar? Isn't this an insult to the Constitution? Is this not tampering with the Constitution of India?" the PM asked.
"Today they are rejecting the Constitution in Goa and tomorrow they will work to reject it in the whole country. Congress has no vision for the country," the PM asserted.
"People of Jammu and Kashmir also used to say...You gave blessings (to BJP), now their mouths are shut. Now the Constitution of India is in force there (after the abrogation of Article 370)," he said.
The Congress candidate (in Goa) made this statement publicly and said he told his leader about it, which means his leader has given a tacit consent to it, Modi said, in an apparent swipe at Rahul Gandhi. "It is a ploy to break the country. A huge part of the country has rejected Congress, and therefore the party wants to create such small islands," he claimed.
The PM was referring to Congress candidate from South Goa, Viriato Fernandes, who said on Monday that then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had said that Goa will decide its own destiny after it was liberated from Portuguese rule, but "this did not happen", and the Indian Constitution was "forced" on the state.
PM Modi also said that the grand old party is corrupt and increases poverty in the country and it insulted Lord Ram. "Congress used to ask us when will be the Ram Mandir constructed. These people used to give a slogan that we will build a temple but never gave a date. We told them the date and also invited them to the consecration ceremony. But they rejected the invitation. There is a Ram temple in Chhattisgarh at Nanihal. This is the land of Maa Shabri. The Congress has insulted Lord Ram and Maa Shabri."
"For 60 years only one family of Congress has run the government directly or remotely. Congress never wants Dalits and backward people to get power. BJP has decided to give the country's first female president. Congress is a staunch opponent of tribal women," Modi said.
He further said that Congress is engaged in appeasement politics. "The policy of appeasement is in the DNA of Congress. These people will not spend even a second to take away the rights of tribals, poor and backward. BJP is a party for the development of everyone. I have taken out 25 crore people from poverty. My government understood the pain of paddy farmers and they have got the benefit of record MSP. The money of PM Samman Nidhi is being given to the farmers. This is 'Modi's guarantee' that farmers will continue to receive this money," the Prime Minister added.
According to Modi, the entire country is his family and he will strive for the welfare of the countrymen. He also said that people voted the BJP to power in Chhattisgarh and Congress was unable to digest it.
There are 11 Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh and polling was held for one seat on April 19. On April 26, voting will be held for three seats.
