"Corruption, Communalism...": Amit Shah's "4C" Jibe At Congress

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said the Congress follows "4Cs, namely corruption, commission, communalism and criminalisation" and was an "anti-development" party that would stop welfare schemes if it came to power in Madhya Pradesh.

The Congress had disrespected eminent jurist and social reformer Babasaheb Ambedkar and had never bestowed the Bharat Ratna on him, Mr Shah said.

Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Mr Shah said it was a befitting reply to leaders like Rahul Gandhi who would mock the Bharatiya Janata Party by saying the party speaks about temple construction but fails to set a date for it.

Mr Shah addressed two rallies in Shivpuri, and one each in Sheopur and Gwalior during the day in the state, where elections will be held on November 17.

"The Congress follows 4Cs, namely corruption, commission, communal riots, and criminalisation. The Congress disrespected Babasaheb Ambedkar but roams around carrying his photograph. The Congress did not give him Bharat Ratna and always conspired to ensure he never reached Parliament," Mr Shah claimed.

"Our government came to power and we bestowed Bharat Ratna on Babasaheb Ambedkar (in 1990 when a non-Congress National Front government also including the BJP under VP Singh was in place)," Mr Shah claimed.

Mr Shah said Madhya Pradesh will celebrate "three Diwalis", including one when the BJP wins the Assembly polls and another when the idol at the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya will be consecrated at the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22.

This will be the fulfilment of 500-year-old aspirations of crores of people, he asserted.

"The Congress hindered the construction of the Ram Temple. I have come here to invite you to Ayodhya for the January 22 idol consecration. When I was party president, Rahul Gandhi used to taunt us saying 'mandir wahi banayenge par tithi nahi bataayenge'. Now, we are declaring 12:30 am on January 22 as the tithi," he said.

"Along with the Ram Temple, the Mahakal Lok (in Ujjain) and Kashi Vishwanath corridors have been built. The Somnath temple is being built with gold and Badrinath and Kedarnath temples are being restored," he added.

Attacking the Congress, he said the party always supported anti-national forces and called figures like Zakir Naik (Islamic preacher accused of radicalisation and aiding terror) as messengers of peace, while at the same tarnishing the image of Hindu spiritual leaders.

The Congress supported anti-national groups like the Popular Front of India, which PM Modi banned, Shah said.

Hailing PM Modi, Mr Shah said surgical strikes were carried out in September 2016 on terror camps in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir to avenge the Uri attack in which 19 soldiers lost their lives.

Mr Shah said the Congress-led UPA government under Dr Manmohan Singh used to remain mum in the face of such attacks but the Modi dispensation carried out air and surgical strikes to hit back at terror.

Attacking Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath, Mr Shah said he would not become the chief minister after the Assembly polls.

"And if he becomes chief ministr, then the BJP government's Ladli Behna Yojana (in which women get Rs 1,250 per month as aid) and welfare schemes meant for farmers will be stopped," Mr Shah claimed.

In 2002 (after almost a decade of Congress rule), the budget outlay of the state was Rs 23,000 crore, while it is now Rs 3.18 lakh crore, he said.

The BJP has been in power in Madhya Pradesh since 2003, except for the period between December 2018 and March 2020 when Mr Nath was chief minister of a Congress-led coalition.

"The Congress government is an anti-development government. When they ruled for 15 months they stopped many welfare schemes. They stopped the scheme meant for the Sahariya tribe. They also halted the sickle cell anaemia mission meant for tribals. But the BJP revived all the schemes," he pointed out.

"Madhya Pradesh does not need a corrupt Congress government but a BJP government that works for the welfare of the poor, Dalits, OBCs, youths, SCs, STs and women. Madhya Pradesh needs a double-engine government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Mr Shah told the crowd.

Shah said previous Congress governments had made Madhya Pradesh a "BIMARU" state, while the BJP brought about development by working for farmers, Dalits, tribals, OBCs, women and youth.

Madhya Pradesh Assembly poll results will be declared on December 3.

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