Promise You Uniform Civil Code Will Be Implemented In Himachal: Amit Shah

Uniform Civil Code will be implemented in Himachal Pradesh and all irregularities in the salary system of government employees will be looked into if the BJP comes back to power, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday.

Addressing polls rallies in the hill state, Mr Shah said this election is not about electing MLAs or the chief minister, but making India "a strong and a great country under Prime Minister Narendra Modi".

"If you elect the Jai Ram Thakur government, I promise you that the common civil code will be implemented in Himachal Pradesh. No one can stop it," he said.

In his poll rally at Mehatpur in Una, Mr Shah urged people to elect Satpal Satti and help him become a minister.

"Kindly help make a strong and prosperous India with your vote," he said. "The BJP has put in all its efforts to accomplish this."

Mr Shah said Himachal Pradesh was not just "Dev Bhoomi" but also "Veer Bhumi" as brave mothers of the state sent their sons to protect the country's boundaries. "I salute this land," he added.

The BJP in its election manifesto for the hill state has also promised 33 per cent reservation for women in government jobs, new educational institutions, and sops for various segments.

Urging women to encourage their daughters to study at least up to Class 12, Mr Shah said the government will gift them two-wheelers. "She will ride to school in the morning and also help you bring vegetables home in the evening," the home minister said.

During an election rally at Nagrota in Kangra district earlier in the day, Mr Shah claimed that the BJP will win both the lower and upper parts of Himachal Pradesh. Traditionally, Congress has been a strong contender in the upper parts of the state.

He also took a swipe at the poll guarantees given by the Congress in its manifesto, saying the people of Himachal Pradesh will not believe in that party's poll guarantees.

"Who will believe in their guarantees? They ruled for 10 years but only indulged in big scams. Now they are making guarantees to befool the innocent people of Himachal Pradesh," he said.

To woo the electorate in this segment of the state, the home minister highlighted the Centre's surgical air strikes against Pakistan, construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, implementation of 'One Rank, One Pension' and abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir.

"Did you not want a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya? The Congress party did not want a Ram Mandir even after 75 years," he said, alleging that the grand old party ignored religious sites because of its vote bank and appeasement policies.

As voters in Himachal Pradesh have been following a tradition of not repeating the government for a second consecutive term, Mr Shah urged them to break the norm and elect the BJP once again to ensure that it becomes the "number one state" in the country.

Mr Shah also vowed to make the hill state drugs-free in five years.

Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr Shah said his stature had grown globally.

The home minister claimed that when Indian students were stranded in Ukraine during its war with Russia, Modi had called up presidents of the two countries and asked them to stop the war for a couple of days so that Indians could be evacuated.

"This is unprecedented for the world. Our students were evacuated safely," Mr Shah said.

The home minister also made a mention of the development work and government initiatives like Himcare health scheme and Jal Jeevan Mission to ensure safe drinking water.

Lauding Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, Mr Shah said the state attracted an investment of Rs 44,000 crore under his leadership.

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