'Never Misused Mandate, Want 400-Paar For Border Safety, Economy': Shah Thumbs Down Oppn Narrative

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Bharatiya Janata Party's aim to secure over 400 seats is to bring stability to the country's political landscape. Shah further said there is not much difference between 400 Paar and 272, and that the saffron party simply seeks expansion.

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has dismissed the Opposition's claims that the BJP wants to win more than 400 Lok Sabha seats to amend the Constitution. He said that the BJP had the mandate to make changes in the Constitution for the past decade but never did so.

In an interview with ANI, Shah said that the party's aim to secure more than 400 seats is to bring stability to the country's political landscape. "We have had the mandate to change the Constitution for the last 10 years, but we never did that. What do you think Rahul Baba and company would say, and the country will believe it? This country has given us a clear mandate, and the people of this country already know that Modi ji already had sufficient majority to change the constitution, but we never did that," Shah said.

"Yes, we want to win 400 seats in the LS polls to bring stability to politics in the country. We want 400 seats to protect our borders, to make India the third-largest economy in the world, and to ensure that a few poor people who are yet to get the benefits, and we have to fulfil it. We want 400 seats because clean water is yet to reach every household, and there is a lot of work to be done in the field of natural farming in this country. We want 400 seats because we want to provide free treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh to every senior citizen aged above 70 years of age," he further said.

Shah's remarks came after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's statement in which he referred to BJP and said that a political party has allegedly promised in its poll campaign that if they win the elections, they will be uprooting the Constitution. "For the first time, a political party has said that if they come to power, they will be destroying the Constitution. This Constitution gave rights to the poor, backward, Dalits, Adivasis, minorities, farmers, and labourers of India. And today, big leaders of the BJP say that if they win the elections, they will uproot this book," Rahul Gandhi said while addressing a public rally in Odisha's Balangir on Wednesday (May 15).

Furthermore, Home Minister Amit Shah underscored the BJP's track record in fulfilling promises, such as the abrogation of Article 370 and the construction of the Ram Temple. "We have abrogated Article 370, removed Triple Talaq, and taken up and taken up the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. We brought the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) with the help of the mandate in the last ten years of our governance," he said.

When asked about the slogan '400 Paar' sounding like it was needed for a big step, Amit Shah said there's not much difference between 400 Paar and 272, and that the BJP simply seeks expansion. "We never needed 400 seats for a big step; we can do it now. Won't anyone try to expand their work; won't the BJP expand itself?" he said.

Hitting out at the Indira Gandhi-led Congress government, Shah said, "See, the history of misuse of majority is not of my party, but the history of misuse of majority during Indira Gandhi's time was done by the Congress. They changed the article, Lok Sabha was extended, an emergency was imposed, and 1.5 lakh people were sent to jail for 19 months without any reason. We never misused it, and no one takes Rahul Baba seriously."

Exuding confidence in winning the Lok Sabha polls with a full majority, Amit Shah said that the people of the country are with PM Modi to form a stable government in the country. "These people want an unstable government. The public has seen what a stable government can do for the country. The youth of the country have suffered the pain of unstable governments for 30 years. Modi ji's stable government came for two terms and now in the third term, a more stable government will be formed, so the people of the country are with this goal of Modi ji," he added.

'Rise in voter turnout shows success of abrogation of Article 370'

Shah also said that the rise in voter turnout from 14 per cent in the past to nearly 40 per cent now in the Srinagar constituency of Jammu and Kashmir is the greatest testament to the success of abrogation of Article 370.

"I would like to tell those who raise questions on the abrogation of Article 370 that the rise in the voter turnout from 14 per cent in the past to 40 per cent (in Srinagar) is the greatest testament to the success of the decision," Amit Shah said.

Shah said that while people in the Kashmir Valley used to shout slogans for boycotting elections, all voters of extremist groups exercised their franchise in the elections this year. "All leaders of extremist groups voted. It does not matter to whom they vote. That is their right. But at least, they were part of the democratic process. Earlier slogans were shouted to boycott elections. Today elections were held peacefully," the Union Minister said.

Noting that there was no instance of violence in Srinagar during the polls, Shah said, "Not even a baton was wielded. There was no instance of rigging. And voting was held patiently, with no instance of violence from any political party. This shows that change is visible."

'Considering South as separate country highly objectionable'

Reacting strongly to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader KT Rama Rao's remarks on the North-South divide, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said considering the South as a separate country was 'highly objectionable.'

Shah said, "This country can never be divided again. A senior Congress leader had said that divide North India and South India, and Congress did not distance itself from this statement. The people of the country should think about the agenda of Congress."

"If someone says that the South is a separate country then it is highly objectionable," Shah said. Asserting that the BJP will perform better in South India in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, the Home Minister said, "The BJP is going to become the largest party in five southern states - Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka."

Last week, BRS leader KT Rama Rao said 'North India is a different country altogether.' "It is a different country altogether. It is a different world. I am not saying it literally but it is practically a different country. I think the issues that are centred here are different than the issues in the South. People here think differently," KTR had said.

'People will see big bottles when they see Kejriwal campaigning'

Shah took a swipe at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, suggesting that the public will be reminded of the liquor 'scam' whenever they see Kejriwal campaigning for the AAP and the Congress in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. While responding to a question on whether the INDIA bloc will benefit from the interim bail of Kejriwal in the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case, Shah said, "I think wherever he'll go for the poll campaign, the people will remember the liquor scam, even in Punjab. People will also see big bottles in front of them when they see Kejriwal."

Reacting to the Supreme Court's verdict granting Kejriwal interim bail in the case, Shah said, "I don't want to comment on the SC's verdict. But the way the leaders of AAP are claiming the court's decision as Kejriwal's victory, I want to explain this. What was their plea before the SC? They said that his arrest was illegal but the apex court dismissed it. Then they modified their plea and asked for bail; the court rejected that too. The Supreme Court said that as per your demand to campaign in elections, we are giving you interim bail and you have to surrender on June 1."

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