Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited poll-bound Haryana on Tuesday (July 16), in his second visit to the state in the over two weeks and addressed Backward Classes Samman Sammelan in Mahendragarh. He lashed out at Congress and accused it of being against the backward classes. He also lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for including as many as 27 ministers from the backward classes into his ministry at the Centre.
Amit Shah addresses Backward Classes Samman Sammelan
"Congress has always been against the backward classes. In 1957, Kaka Kalelkar Commission was formed for OBC reservation, but Congress did not implement it for years. In 1980, Indira Gandhi shelved the Mandal Commission. When it was introduced in 1990, Rajiv Gandhi opposed OBC reservation by giving a speech for 2 hours and 43 minutes," he said.
"In 2014, after becoming the Prime Minister Modi had told the whole country that this government of mine is the government of Dalits, poor and backward people. BJP has done the work of giving the country its first empowered backward class Prime Minister. By giving 27 out of 71 ministers from the backward class, Narendra Modi ji has done the work of honoring the OBCs of Haryana and the country," Shah added.
The Home Minister listed the work done by the Prime Minister for the OBC community and said that he ensured reservations for them in various educational institutions.
"Under the leadership of PM Modi, the BJP did the work of giving you constitutional rights by giving constitutional recognition to the OBC Commission. The work of giving 27% reservation in Kendriya Vidyalaya, Navodaya Vidyalaya, Sainik School and NEET examinations was done for the first time by our leader Narendra Modi," he said.
"Congress gave nothing to Haryana except casteism and corruption. When Congress governments were formed, when one government came to power, corruption reached its peak, and when the second government came to power, hooliganism reached its peak," Shah added.
During the past 10 years, the BJP has reaped good electoral gains in Ahirwal belt in south Haryana in which Mahendragarh falls. In the recently held Lok Sabha polls too, while Congress wrested five of the 10 seats from the BJP, it failed to defeat the ruling party in Bhiwani-Mahendragarh and Gurugram parliamentary constituencies.
BJP to contest Haryana Assembly Elections on its own
On June 29, when Shah was in the state the last time, he had addressed the BJP leaders and workers during a meeting of the party’s extended state executive at Panchkula, during which he announced that the party will contest the upcoming Assembly polls alone under the leadership of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and would not forge an alliance with any party.
Shah had exuded confidence that the party would come back to power in the state with full majority for its third consecutive term.
Last month, Chief Minister Saini had also addressed a gathering at 'OBC Morcha Sarv Samaj Samrasta Sammelan' held in Gurugram.
In that event, Saini had announced an increase in annual income limit for creamy layer from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh, while maintaining that it will provide "significant benefits" in employment for the OBC category.
(With PTI inputs)
ALSO READ | Congress launches 'Haryana Maange Hisab' campaign against BJP government
