Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah on Sunday said the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and reservations in jobs would remain in force till the saffron party-led government is in power.
“In the coming days, the Congress will spread different types of lies to mislead people,” Shah said at a rally in Chhattisgarh’s Ambikapur, PTI reported. “Sometimes they will say the SC/ST Act is being abolished, on other occasions they will say the reservation [system] was being scrapped.”
He added: “I want to clearly say that the SC/ST Act and reservation will remain in force till the BJP government is in power.”
Shah also criticised Congress’ “dismal track record” during its rule, and claimed that the BJP would win 65 seats in the upcoming elections. Chhattisgarh is expected to go to the polls later this year.
“Rahul baba, why are you asking for our account of four years? We do not need to give you any account,” Shah said in apparent reference to Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s statement questioning the Modi government’s work in the last four years. “We will give an account of every minute and every paisa to people when we go to them to ask for votes.”
Shah asked Gandhi why there had been no development even though the Congress president’s family “governed the country for four generations and 55 years”.
“With the onset of summer, they rush to Europe and Italy for vacations,” Shah added. “When Rahul baba comes here to ask for votes, will you not ask him about the dismal record of his party?”
Shah claimed that the Modi government had launched a new scheme for farmers or poor people every 15 days.
The BJP president clarified on Monday that his statements should not be considered a personal attack against Gandhi, according to The Hindu. “Don’t consider it a personal attack. He [Rahul Gandhi] presented some issues in front of people and I have only tried to answer it,” Shah said.
“No one is a danger in a democracy,” Shah replied when asked if he thought Gandhi was a threat. “I am asking an account of four generations [of Gandhi family’s rule] to him [Rahul Gandhi] because he is the Congress president and his family has ruled this country for 55 years.”
“When you become the president of the Congress, you have to answer about the Congress’s legacies,” Shah added.
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