Amit Shah targets Congress, says won’t let OBC quota go to Muslims in Haryana

Ravinder Saini

Mahendragarh, July 16

Launching a scathing attack on the Congress, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the grand old party was against the other backward classes (OBCs) as it had snatched the reservation from them in Karnataka and given it to the Muslims.

Addressing a state-level ‘Backward Class Samman Sammelan’ at Central University here, he said: “The Congress will do the same in Haryana if it comes to power. However, I assure you that we (BJP) will not allow Muslim reservation in Haryana. We will protect the rights of BCs by forming the government in the state for the third time with full majority.”

His remarks came when the Assembly elections in the state are just three months away. It was his second visit to the state in the past 20 days.

Shah boosted the morale of the party workers and patted Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini for his simplicity. He also praised Saini government’s recent decisions in favour of BCs, including a hike in creamy layer limit from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh per annum and reservation in Group A and B posts, besides introducing reservation in panchayats and municipal bodies.

Taking a dig at the Congress’ latest campaign ‘Haryana Maange Hisaab’, the Union Minister targeted former CM and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

“Baniye ka beta hoon, payi-payi ka hisaab lekar chalta Hu (I am the son of a baniya and have brought the account of every penny),” said Shah while challenging Hooda to come to the field with the data of his previous government.

He questioned Hooda that “What account do you want? We will give you an account of things and the people of Haryana will seek an account from the Congress. You (Hooda) would have to give an account of corruption in jobs, spreading casteism, nepotism, misgovernance and injustice with the BCs during the previous Congress regime.”

The Union Minister exhorted the party workers to go from village to village and demand an account of how much money was spent on development works during the 10-year tenure of the Congress.

Referring to 6,225 panchayats in the state, Shah said Rs 19.54 crore had been spent on development works in Brahmin Majra village, Rs 17.74 crore in Kalinga, Rs 84.33 crore in Tigaon, Rs 516.62 crore in Koriawas, Rs 23.95 crore in Asankalan, and Rs 21.30 crore in Kharia village in the past 10 years of the BJP regime. He said BJP workers would visit all 6,225 panchayats to present an account of the development works carried out by the BJP.

“The Kaka Saheb Commission was formed in 1957 for BC reservations, but the Congress did not implement it for years. In 1980, Indira Gandhi shelved the Mandal Commission. When it was introduced in 1990, even then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi opposed OBC reservations,” he claimed.

CM Saini said the BJP had shown full respect to the BCs by appointing a CM from them and creating a history in Haryana. He praised the PM Vishwakarma Yojana for its role in the skill development of the BCs. The CM also felicitated the Sarpanches of Brahman Majra, Kalinga, Tigaon, Koriawas, Asankalan, and Kharia villages.

Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh highlighted the unwavering support of the BCs of Ahirwal to the BJP after Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014.

‘Baniye Ka Beta Hu, Payi-Payi ka Hisab Lekar Chalta Hoon’

• Stepping up his attack on former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and the Congress’ campaign “Haryana Maange Hisaab’, Union Minister Amit Shah said: “Baniye Ka Beta Hu, Payi-Payi ka Hisaab Lekar Chalta Hoon”
• “Hooda Sahab, I have come here with the accounts, what will you ask for? I challenge you to go in public with a portfolio of our works of 10 years and Congress’ work of 10 years… you need to give your accounts, not us,” he added