Chhindwara :Firing a sarcasm-laced broadside against the Congress on Saturday in election-bound Madhya Pradesh, Union Home Affairs and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah alleged that the party always mouths empty words regarding the backward segment of society.
Addressing a public meeting to mark the launch of the saffron camp’s Vijay Sankalp Rally in what has for decades been Congress stalwart and erstwhile chief minister Kamal Nath’s virtually-impregnable bastion, the visiting leader averred, “The Congress issued the slogan ‘gareebi hatao’ but failed to deliver. Mr Nath looted this state. I desire to ask him, the electorate provided you with an opportunity so furnish an account of your actions to the populace. Mr Nath indulged in graft. He spoke of an unemployment allowance but did he provide any? He was to enhance old age pension, did he? On the contrary, he placed the Sambal Yojana, the Teerth Darshan Yojana and several other schemes on the backburner. A sugar factory was supposed to be established in Satpura and a matches unit was promised. And what became of the two flyovers that were to be constructed here?”
Touching on the Kashmir issue, the seasoned politician said that – with the abrogation of Article 370 – Kashmir became an integral part of India in the true sense of the term.
“When our soldier was decapitated by Pakistani raiders during Congress tenure, that party did not even murmur in protest but in Mr Narendra Modi’s prime ministership, the Pulwama attack was followed hard upon by a surgical strike. The scourge of Left-wing extremism has almost been eliminated by Mr Modi. In 2014, when the electorate chose him, he assured that the BJP dispensation would care for the impoverished, the backward, tribes and dalits. The Prime Minister ensured that the daughter of an indigent tribal household adorned the exalted office of President,” Mr Shah observed during his 18-minute-long speech.
He bowed to the freedom fighters from the region and specifically mentioned the vociferous opposition to the draconian Rowlatt Act (Black Act) – the legislation of ‘no appeal, no vakil and no dalil’ that fuelled the Punjab disturbances.
“Tribal Pride Day – the birth anniversary of immortal revolutionary Birsa Munda – was celebrated on November 15, 2021,” he said while highlighting the Centre’s achievements vis-à-vis housing, banking, health, railways, cooking gas and toilets.