INDIA bloc wants to steal reservation of backward classes: Amit Shah in Bihar
Shah also hit out at the Congress party and Mamata Banerjee for their approach to reservations, alleging that they sought to dilute the benefits meant for backward castes
Ara: Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday hit out at Lalu Prasad Yadav, saying that the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief never worked for the welfare of the backward class nor the people belonging to his caste ‘Yadav’.
Shah was addressing a rally in Ara district in favour of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate and Union minister R K Singh.
He also hit out at the Congress party and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee for their approach to reservations, alleging that they sought to dilute the benefits meant for backward castes.
“The Congress party, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Mamta Banerjee want to steal reservation of backward classes. In Karnataka, they gave 5% reservation to Muslims, in Hyderabad again 4% reservation to Muslims and Mamta Banerjee left 180 castes,” Shad said on Friday.
While appealing to people to vote for the BJP, Shah said, “As long as [Prime Minister] Narendra Modi is there, we will not let anyone touch the reservation of the Dalits, Adivasis and the backward classes. If you help BJP cross the 400 mark, we will revoke the Muslim reservation and give it to the backward classes.”
Further targeting Lalu Yadav, Shah said that if he, as part of an ‘arrogant’ INDIA bloc, comes to power, jungle raj, abduction and gang war will return to Bihar.
“People don’t want the return of jungle raj, gang war and abduction industry in Bihar….He (Lalu Yadav) made his two sons ministers and sent one daughter to Rajya Sabha and another to contest the Lok Sabha. He made his wife the chief minister of Bihar. He promotes only his sons and daughter,” Shah alleged.
The home minister further warned the people of the return of Naxalism in the state. “If CPI-ML [Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation] wins by mistake, Naxalism will again start to flourish here,” he said while recalling the earlier days (decade of the 90s) when Ara witnessed the Naxal movement.
CPI-ML’s Sudama Prasad is the INDIA bloc’s candidate from Ara.
“Such a situation should not be repeated. Narendra Modi-led government has wiped out Naxalism from different states of the country. In the third term the government will wipe out Naxal movements in Chhattisgarh too”, Shah said.
Responding to Shah’s comments, speaking to media persons, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said, “Amit Shah only comes to make hatred trend in Bihar. He lies. The people of Bihar will not fall for his lies. Bihar will not follow the trend of lies and hatred, Bihar will follow the trend of jobs... What have they done for Bihar in the last 10 years?”
Ara will go to polls in the seventh phase on June 1. The counting of votes will take place in June 4.