Congress to cut SC, ST, OBC quota to give it to Muslims: Amit Shah in Maharashtra

Union home minister Amit Shah while releasing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s manifesto for the Maharashtra assembly elections in Mumbai on Tuesday alleged that the Congress intends to cut the reservation of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes and give it to Muslims, and warned the people of the state to be alert about such appeasement politics.

“Recently I saw reports and documents which revealed that a delegation of Muslim clerics submitted a letter regarding several demands for Muslim community. One of the demands is to approve the Muslim reservation and state Congress leader Nana Patole has agreed to these demands and gave the acknowledgment to them. In the Constitution of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, there is no provision for reservation based on religion. Congress intends to cut the reservation of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes and give it to Muslims. Is it acceptable to the people of Maharashtra?” Shah said.

In response to a question, the senior BJP leader said once Mahayuti comes to power again, the government will form a committee to discuss and bring a stringent law to curb religious conversions.

Shah also slammed Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray for insulting the people’s mandate by breaking the alliance with the BJP in 2019 for the post of chief minister. He said that it’s the right of Uddhav Thackeray to choose the alliance but his alliance with Congress-NCP (SP) is full of internal contradiction.

“Uddhav Thackeray is sitting with the people who opposes cancellation of Article 370, he is sitting with the people who insults Veer Savarkar, he is sitting with the people who opposed the construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya, he is sitting with the people who are opposing the amendment in Waqf board law,” he said.

The BJP leader also questioned the contribution of NCP (SP).

“Sharad Pawar was minister for 10 years during the UPA government at the Centre. What did he do for Maharashtra in those 10 years?” he said.

Shah also said that the Mahayuti government will take Maharashtra economy to one trillion dollars by 2028.

On a question about who the chief minister will be if Mahayuti comes to power again, he said, “At present Eknath Shinde is our chief minister and after the poll, three parties in Mahayuti will sit together and decide the next CM.”

Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, state BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule, minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, national general secretary Vinod Tawade were present in the function.