"Give 400 Seats, We Will Raise Temples At Gyanvapi Mosque": Himanta Sarma

Underscoring the BJPs pledge to push for resolution of the Gyanvapi and the Krishna Janmabhoomi cases, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said if his party fulfils its campaign pitch of 'ab ki baar, 400 paar' (400-plus seats) in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, it will construct temples at the birthplace of Lord Krishna in Mathura and the mosque in Varanasi.

Addressing a public meeting in Jharkhand's Bokaro in favour of BJP candidate Dhullo Mahto on Wednesday, the Assam CM listed the accomplishments of the party when it won 300-plus seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

"After securing 300 seats (in 2019), Prime Minister Narendra Modi ensured that the Ram Mandir came up in Ayodhya, winning the hearts of Hindus. We freed Ram Lalla from the makeshift tent and helped him return to take his throne. We organised a grand 'Pran Pratishtha' of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya. When you gave us 300 seats, PM Modi abrogated Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, in a move aimed at restoration of peace in the erstwhile state. He also used the mandate to provide permanent Indian residency or citizenship to minority Hindus (from Muslim-majority Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh through the CAA)," Mr Sarma said.

Urging people to vote the BJP-led NDA back to power at the Centre on June 4, the Assam CM said, "Give 400 seats to Modi-ji, we will raise temples at the birthplace of Lord Krishna in Mathura and the Gyanvapi mosque in Kashi (Varanasi)."

"Our work is still incomplete. Still today, at Krishna Janambhoomi, there is a Shahi Eidgah. In place of a Gyanvapi Mandir, there is a Gyanvapi Masjid. Modi-ji ko 400 seat dijiye, hame Krishna ka janabhoomi bhi banana hai aur Gyanvapi Mandir bhi banana hai (give 400 seats to PM Modi as we have to accomplish our unfinished tasks of building temples at Krishna Janmabhoomi and at the Gyanvapi mosque."

Invoking Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the Assam CM said, "There are two parts of Kashmir, one that is with Pakistan and the other one that is with India. Give Modi-ji 400 seats and see how we bring Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir back to India. He will also make India a 'Vishwaguru' and the world's best economy."
Taking a jibe at the Congress, JMM, and INDIA bloc, Mr Sarma claimed that the Opposition doesn't have any problem with Prime Minister Narendra Modi returning to office for a third term but they cannot see the NDA winning 400 seats. "The Congress, JMM, and INDIA bloc ask us why PM Modi wants 400 seats. They don't have any problem if we get 300 seats, and they don't have any problem if Narendra Modi becomes PM again. Their problem is why Modi-ji wants 400 seats. All they want is to ensure that PM Modi doesn't get 400 seats."

Mr Sarma also took a dig at the JMM, claiming that the Opposition-ruled Jharkhand was in a mess. "The JMM leaders, while holding rallies and addressing the people, seldom chant 'Jai Shree Ram'.
They say 'Assalam Walekum.' In India, you cannot practise the politics of insulting the Hindus," Mr Sarma said.

The Assam CM also spoke at length about the benefits the people of Jharkhand received derived under PM Modi, saying, "Modi-ji has always worked for the upliftment of the poor in Jharkhand. After becoming PM, he constructed 16 lakh houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana, he provided free health treatment to 1 crore people through the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat, gave domestic cylinders to 37 lakh women under Ujjwala and tap water connections to 21 lakh families. And, mind you, all this work was done despite there being a single-engine government in the state. Once a double-engine government is formed here, the work will be doubled and tripled and our Jharkhand will also become a developed state."

Speaking to reporters after addressing the rally, the Assam CM took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying, "I want to ask Rahul Gandhi: how many backward, tribal and Dalit people were made industrialists by Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi? Narendra Modi made an Adivasi the country's President."

"I wish to tell Rahul Gandhi: just saying that he is not against the Hindus won't work. He will have to become a Hindu lover as India is a Hindu civilisation... For 5000 years, the Hindus have nurtured and built India," he added.

Mr Sarma targeted Congress for not obeying the Constitution, saying, "What is the need to change the Constitution? The Congress never followed what BR Ambedkar wrote in our Constitution. Once we come back with 400 seats, PM Modi will ensure full compliance with what is enshrined in the Constitution."

Claiming that inflation was lowest in BJP-ruled states, he added, "In BJP-ruled states, the cost of petrol-diesel is the lowest. Today, in BJP-ruled states, inflation is the lowest. We also have the maximum number of welfare schemes. Our mothers get Rs 1200 monthly, and the government employees get 50 per cent DA."

Notably, the JMM is part of the INDIA bloc and is contesting elections in alliance with the Congress in Jharkhand and Odisha. Bokaro will go to the polls in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 25.

In 2019, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won 12 seats in Jharkhand, with the former alone winning 11. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Congress got one seat each.

The general elections are being held in seven phases and the counting is scheduled for June 4.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)