"I challenge Congress to declare it will not give reservations based on religion": PM Modi in Gujarat

Banaskantha (Gujarat) [India], May 1 : Lashing out at Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that the party, its "shezada" and INDIA alliance parties should declare that they will not resort to religion-based reservations and asserted that the BJP will always protect the quota given to the SCs, STs, OBCs and economically backward section of the general category.
Addressing an election rally here, PM Modi said that Congress abused him in during campaigns in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls and was now resorting to lies.
Referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as "shehzada", PM Modi gave challenge to the party and its ecosystem that "they will not play with the Constitution" and not give reservation on the basis of religion.
He alleged that the Congress wants to loot the reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Sections and give it to Muslims.
"The reservation for SCs, STs, OBCs and economically backward of the general category will never be looted... Your (Congress) intention is to loot the reservation and give it to Muslims. I challenge the shehzada of Congress, Congress and the Jamat who support it to declare if they have courage that they will never misuse the reservation, will not play with the Constitution or give reservation on the basis of religion. Declare this if you have courage," he said.
"They will not declare this because there is something suspicious. The BJP will protect the reservation given to the SCs, STs, OBCs and economically backward of the general category... They want to snatch away the reservation for their vote bank... They should give a written declaration that they will not give reservation on a religious basis," he said.
PM Modi has accused Congress of giving reservation on the basis of religion in Karnataka and making provision earlier in undivided Andhra Pradesh.
The Prime Minister said that INDIA alliance parties should give an undertaking in writing that they will not touch constitution-mandated reservation provisions.
He said Congress, which had targeted him in 2014 as "tea seller" was given such a reply that they were reduced to nearly 40 seats in Lok Sabha.
"In 2014, the Congress mocked me that I was a 'Chaiwala', Gujju. They said I only understood Gujarat, not the country... They used to bring tea kettles in their rallies to mock me. But the country replied in such a way that those who once had 400 seats are now at 40 seats," he said.
PM Modi said that in 2019 general election, Congress targeted him with 'Chowkidar chor hai' slogans in the context of Rafale fighter jet deal and also made allegations such as "Modi khoon ki dalali karta hai" .
"People created a situation where they could not get status of Leader of Opposition (in Lok Sabha). The situation became so bad," he said.
"After 2019, they intensified insults towards Modi. The prince of Congress proudly called the entire Modi and OBC communities thieves. Because Modi is from Gujarat, no opportunity was left to spread hatred against Gujaratis. They did not stop here; they did not lag behind in calling my parents bad things. In 2024, Congress and the INDI Alliance have come up with the new lie that reservations will end... they will be limited to fewer seats than before," he added.
Referring to the two phases of Lok Sabha that have been held, he said INDIA alliance was defeated in the first phase and collapsed in the second.
Referring to neighbouring Rajasthan, he said elections to Lok Sabha have been held in the state and INDIA bloc parties are unlikely to win a single seat there.
"INDI alliance is doing just anything out of nervousness. They opened a 'Mohabbat ki Dukan' and now they selling fake videos. They are spreading lies through fake videos. Their 'Mohabbat ki Dukan' is a fake factory. Congress' video, slogans, promises, and intentions are all fake. The fake videos may mislead people for some time but you will be punished for it," PM Modi added.
Hitting back at Congress, the Prime Minister said that the BJP-led NDA had support of nearly 400 MPs in the outgoing Lok Sabha and it did not commit the "sin" of ending reservation.
"Those who are talking about 400 seats, even today, the NDA has around 360 seats in the Parliament, and parties like BJD and YSRCP, which were not in our alliance, supported us. had the strength of 400 in Parliament. But we did not commit the sin of withdrawing the reservation," PM Modi said.
"In 2024, the Congress and INDI alliance has come up with a lie... Their eco-system is pushing that lie. They are saying that the reservation would be withdrawn. It is a completely fabricated lie... This time they will be limited to fewer seats than last time..," he said.
He said no party in INDIA bloc is in a position to get majority and were fighting far fewer seats than the BJP.
"Even the royal family of Delhi is not going to vote for Congress... There is no Congress candidate where they vote... Ahmed Patel's family in Bharuch will not vote for Congress... A big Congress leader who votes in Bhavnagar, will not be able to vote for Congress. This is the condition of the Congress," he said.
PM Modi said people of Gujarat ended rule of Congress and have ensured that the party does not return to power.
"I salute the people of Gujarat that they never made an unstable government here. You never fell for any short-term allurements... In many states, political instability did not let the industries develop or work with a broader vision... Once you removed the Congress from Gujarat, you did not let them step in again. The Congress does not have issues, vision or passion to work," he said. .
"In the 2024 elections, I have come with the experience of 20-25 years... I have come with a guarantee based on the capabilities of the country... My guarantee is that in the third term, we will make India the third-largest economy in the world. This will not just benefit the current generation, but also the future generations," he added.
PM Modi said he was addressing a rally on Gujarat Day.
"Today is Gujarat Day. And this day is a day of new resolution and energy. Let's take a resolution today that to make a Viksit Bharat, we will not hold anything back in making a Viksit Gujarat," he added.
Voting for 25 out of 26 seats in Gujarat will take place in the third phase of the ongoing general elections on May 7. Voting will not take place in Surat as Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Mukesh Dalal was declared elected unopposed last week after Congress' Nilesh Kumbhani's nomination was rejected while other candidates withdrew from the contest.