Congress ‘royal family’ bent on breaking social unity: PM
Modi painted a picture of a Congress party threatened by unified backward communities and working actively to undermine their solidarity
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the Congress party, accusing its “royal family” of orchestrating a conspiracy to divide tribal communities and ultimately eliminate reservations for Scheduled Tribes (ST), Scheduled Castes (SC), and Other Backward Classes (OBC).
Speaking at campaign rallies in Gumla and Chandankiyari ahead of the upcoming Jharkhand assembly elections, Modi painted a picture of a Congress party threatened by unified backward communities and working actively to undermine their solidarity.
“The Congress knows that if STs, SCs and OBCs are united, they will pose a threat to the party’s existence. This is the reason the Congress ‘shahi parivar’ is hell-bent on breaking their unity... They want to snatch reservations,” Modi declared at the Gumla rally.
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The Prime Minister specifically accused the Congress of attempting to create divisions within tribal communities, stating, “The Congress is trying to pit one tribal community against another... Munda against Oraon, Lohra against Kharia, Kharwar against Korwa etc. with an agenda to break the tribal society’s strength.”
The stakes are high in Jharkhand, where elections for the 81-member assembly will be held in two phases on November 13 and 20, and comes after an unexpected BJP victory in Haryana.
Of the 81 seats in Jharkhand, 28 are reserved for Scheduled Tribes and nine for Scheduled Castes, making tribal unity a crucial electoral factor.
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Modi repeatedly emphasised the BJP’s campaign slogan “ek rahenge to safe rahenge” (we will be safe only in unity), contrasting his party’s approach with that of the opposition. “BJP and NDA believes in ‘sabka sath, sabka vikas’, while the intentions of the JMM-Congress are different,” he said.
The Prime Minister also raked up corruption allegations surrounding the JMM-Congress coalition currently governing Jharkhand. “We have seen mountains of cash from JMM-Congress leaders. I had never seen such mountains of cash. Even the counting machines were tired,” Modi claimed, adding, “Those who looted people’s money will spend their lives in jail, they will have to return the money.”
He accused the ruling coalition of widespread resource exploitation, stating they were “selling everything in Jharkhand” and had even “did a scam in the free rice scheme that we launched. They stole rice from the plates of your children.”
Modi particularly emphasised his government’s commitment to tribal welfare, pointing out that he was the first Prime Minister to visit Ulihatu in Khunti, the birthplace of tribal icon Birsa Munda. “Jisko kisi ne puchha nahi, Modi unko poojta hai (Modi works for those who have been neglected by others),” he said, announcing that Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh will be celebrated for one year from November 15 across the country to honour Birsa Munda.
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The Prime Minister also outlined several development initiatives, including the Dharti Aba Janjatiya Utkarsh Abhiyan, under which “more than 60,000 tribal villages across India will be developed at a cost of ₹80,000 crore.” He also promised to make 30 million women as “Lakhpati Didis” and promote Ragi cultivation to bring prosperity to Jharkhand’s farmers.
Modi accused the Congress of being anti-tribal, citing what he said was their opposition to Droupadi Murmu’s candidature for President and their alleged insults toward former Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren. “The Congress cannot tolerate tribals in higher posts,” he asserted.
Looking toward the future, Modi emphasised the critical nature of the upcoming election: “The next five years are very crucial for Jharkhand’s coming 25 years. Your one vote will contribute to making the state developed.”
He concluded by urging voters to support a “double engine government” in the state, arguing that a BJP-NDA government was essential to stop infiltration, provide youth employment, preserve Jharkhand’s identity, and ensure women’s safety.