Belagavi: Union Home Minister and Senior BJP Leader Amit Shah on May 6 accused the Congress of functioning on the banned Popular Front of India’s (PFI) agenda, as he urged the people of Karnataka not to vote for the opposition party in Assembly polls next week.
Alleging that Congress indulges in appeasement politics, he claimed that it has insulted Lord Hanuman, along with freedom fighter and Hindutva ideologue V. D. Savarkar.
Congress party for the sake of vote bank indulges in appeasement politics. First, they gave four per cent Muslim reservation, despite knowing that our Constitution doesn’t provide for reservation based on religion. BJP has scrapped this unconstitutional Muslim reservation and increased quota for Lingayats and Vokkaligas by two per cent each, sais Shah.
Adressing a public meeting here in Belagavi District, he said Congress promises that in case the party comes to power, they would bring back Muslim reservation and take it up to six per cent instead of four per cent.
From where will you (Congress) get it, whose (quota) will you reduce? Will you reduce the quota of Lingayats or Vokkaligas or SC/STs, clarify it. Congressmen, listen with open ears, you will neither form the government, nor Lingayats reservation will get reduced. Only the BJP Government will come, he added.
Recalling that the BJP Government reined in PFI last year, the Home Minister claimed Congress says that on coming to power they would take back the ban on the Islamist outfit. We don’t indulge in vote bank politics, whoever does anti-national work will go behind bars.
Pointing out that PFI had placed two demands, he further said one is to increase the minority budget to Rs. 10,000 Crore, and the Congress silently in its manifesto has promised to increase the quantum to Rs. 10,000 Crore. Also, PFI had asked for reservation to minorities, and Congress said it will give six per cent reservation instead of four per cent earlier, he said.
Congress is functioning on PFI’s agenda, never vote for Congress, he asserted.
