Highlights
- Amit Shah laid foundation stone of border tourism development work at the Tanot premises
- The Home minister also visited the Tanot Mata temple
- Shah's visit is aimed at strengthening party's OBC vote bank ahead of 2023 Assembly polls
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is on Saturday addressing the valedictory session of a national-level meeting of the BJP's OBC Morcha in Jodhpur, the home turf of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
During his address, Shah targeted Rahul Gandhi over the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', saying the Congress leader had once said India is not a nation and is now out to "unite" the country wearing a "foreign-make" T-shirt.
Addressing the Rajasthan BJP's booth functionaries, he also hit out at the state government over the murder of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal by Muslim extremists and the Karauli violence and alleged the Congress can only practice politics of vote bank and appeasement.
Taking aim at Gandhi, he said, "I want to remind Rahul baba and other Congress members about his speech given in Parliament. Rahul baba had said India is not a nation. Rahul baba, in which book have you read this? This is the nation for which lakhs and lakhs of people have sacrificed their lives."
"The one who said India is not a nation is now on a yatra to unite India wearing foreign T-shirt," he said, referring to the the BJP's swipe at the Congress leader for wearing a Burberry T-shirt reportedly costing over Rs 41,000.
Gandhi is out to "connect" Bharat but he needs to study Indian history first, Shah said.
Prior to his arrival in Jodhpur, the Union home minister visited the Tanot Mata temple around 10.30 am.
He also laid the foundation stone of border tourism development work at the Tanot premises around 11 am. Shah arrived in Jaisalmer on Friday evening.
In Jodhpur, BJP functionaries said the home minister would be accorded a grand welcome. Over 1,500 party workers wearing saffron turbans and riding motorcycles will escort him to the venue of the meeting from the airport, they said. National president of the BJP OBC Morcha K Laxman, Union Labour Minister Bhupender Yadav and Rajasthan BJP chief Satish Poonia inaugurated the two-day working committee meeting on Friday morning.
Soon after the party's OBC Morcha meeting, Shah will address the BJP's booth-level workers at Jodhpur's Dussehra Ground. The party is mobilising its booth-level workers from the entire division for the meeting. The national working committee meet of the BJP's OBC Morcha in Jodhpur is aimed at strengthening the party's OBC vote bank in the state ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections.
Also Read | Home minister Amit Shah's security breached in Mumbai, impersonator arrested
Jodhpur is the home town of Gehlot, who also belongs to the OBC category. The BJP also wants to measure its strength in the state's western part ahead of the assembly elections. Known locally as Marwar, Jodhpur is the biggest division of Rajasthan and comprises six districts -- Jodhpur, Barmer, Jaisalmer, Jalore, Sirohi, and Pali.
Of the 200 Assembly constituencies, 33 are in Jodhpur division, including 10 in Jodhpur district. Of these, the BJP currently holds 14 seats, the Congress 17, while the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party and Independents hold one seat each. "OBC is a vast community. It is with the BJP ideology.
This is the first time in the BJP regime that we have 27 ministers from this community. Also the OBC commission has been given constitutional recognition by the Narendra Modi government," Poonia said.
Also Read | Amit Shah asks southern states to explore joint solution to water dispute
