Union Home Minister Amit Shah on April 24 said if people vote for the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections, their votes will go to the patriots, who want to establish a 'Ram Rajya' in the country and not to the anti-nationals, who want dynastic politics to thrive.
He also hit out at the Congress, saying it kept the Ram Janmabhoomi issue pending for 70 years, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi solved it soon after coming to power and built a Ram temple in Ayodhya.
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Mr. Shah was addressing a public meeting at Amravati to campaign for BJP's Amravati Lok Sabha seat candidate Navneet Rana and Wardha candidate Ramdas Tadas.
Urging people to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Mr. Shah said, "Your vote will go in favour of patriots and not anti-nationals. It will be in favour of those who want to establish a Ram Rajya and against those who indulge in dynastic politics. Every vote in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will go towards exterminating terrorism and Naxalism in the country and making India the third largest economy in the world."
"Congress kept the Ram temple issue pending for 70 years. But within five years (of coming to power), PM Modi solved the issue and performed the temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya," he said.
Mr. Shah attacked Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for "insulting" Lord Ram by skipping the Ayodhya Ram temple consecration ceremony despite being invited.
"Uddhav Thackeray was invited for the Ram temple consecration, but the fake Shiv Sena chief did not attend it fearing Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. Sharad Pawar was also invited, but did not remain present for it it citing medical grounds. But now he is visiting places to campaign for elections," he said.
The senior BJP leader said Rahul Gandhi was invited for Ram temple consecration, but he also did not attend the programme.
"Rahul Gandhi visited Amravati recently. But no one will listen to you (Rahul Gandhi) in Amravati, you should first visit Ram temple in Ayodhya, then only you will be heard in the country," Mr. Shah added.
PM Modi not only built Kashi Vishwanath Corridor but also reconstructed Kedarnath and Badrinath, which were hit by disasters, he said.
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On Sharad Pawar apologising to the people Amravati for supporting Navneet Rana in the previous elections, Mr. Shah said the NCP (SP) chief should first seek forgiveness from the families of thousands of farmers from the Vidarbha region who committed suicide.
"Mr. Pawar, who was Union agriculture minister for several years, did not do anything to improve the irrigation facilities in Vidarbha," he alleged.
No Umesh can be killed: Shah
Mr. Shah said the 'Mahayuti' Government in the State has initiated several projects for the benefit of farmers in Maharashtra.
"But Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has started a ₹89,000 crore-worth of Painganga interlinking project, which will bring around 4 lakh hectares of land under irrigation in Nagpur, Wardha, Amravati, Yavatmal, Akola and Buldhana," he said.
He also attacked former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray for "not doing anything" in solving the Amravati-based pharmacist Umesh Kolhe murder case.
"Mr. Thackeray has given up all the 'sanskars' of Balasaheb Thackeray, while the present CM Eknath Shinde is taking them forward. We have our government in Maharashtra. Now, no Umesh can be killed in the State. No one can dare to do so," he said.
Mr. Shah attacked Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge for questioning the relevance of mentioning Kashmir and Article 370 abrogation at rallies in Rajasthan and Maharashtra.
"By scrapping Article 370, the Modi Government has linked Kashmir to mainland India, while Congress raised Article 370 like an illegitimate child for 70 years," he said.
Accusing the Congress of spreading rumours that BJP would change the Constitution, he said his party will never let that happen.
