Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday attacked the Congress over party president Mallikarjun Kharge's recent remark on Lord Ram and Lord Shiva, and accused the opposition party of trying to divide Hindus for its appeasement politics.
Addressing an election rally at Surendranagar in Gujarat to campaign for Bharatiya Janata Party's candidates for Surendranagar and Bhavnagar Lok Sabha seats, he also alleged that the Congress stabbed the Constitution in the back by proposing to give reservation on the basis of religion, and said the party promised quota for Muslims in government contracts.
"Now, Congress is trying to create division among Hindus. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has made a very dangerous statement about Lord Ram and Lord Shiva. This statement has been made with malafide intentions. They are playing a game to divide the Hindu community," he said.
"They are creating differences among the devotees of Lord Ram and Lord Shiva so that they fight with each other. Even the Mughals could not break our thousands of years of traditions, but now Congress wants to break it? How low will Congress stoop for appeasement?" he asked.
At a rally in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday in support of a party candidate Shivkumar Dahariya, Kharge said, "His name is Shivkumar. He can compete with Ram because he is Shiva. I am also Mallikarjun. Main bhi Shiv hoon (I am also Shiva)," he said. Mallikarjun is another name for Lord Shiva.
Modi said the Congress and its supporters rejected the invitation sent to them to attend the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
According to him, the Congress has always been a party that made a 'wrong delivery'.
"Instead of independence, they did the country's partition. Instead of bringing development, they robbed what was already there. Instead of giving back to the poor, Congress filled its own coffers with that money. Now, Congress wants to deliver reservation to Muslims and they have been trying for the last three decades," Modi said.
The imprint of Muslim League can be seen on the Congress manifesto, but the party is not uttering any word even as he has challenged them to come clean on the issue of reservation to Dalits, tribals and backward communities.
"Congress leaders have stabbed the Constitution in the back by proposing to give reservation on the basis of religion," he said.
Modi also alleged that Congress, in its manifesto, has proposed a separate quota for minorities, especially Muslims, in the allocation of all government tenders.
"You will find appeasement politics at several places in the Congress manifesto. It is written in their manifesto that there will be a separate quota for minorities, for Muslims, in the allocation of all government tenders. So now government contracts will be awarded on the basis of religion and reservation will be introduced for that?" he asked.
At present, there is a system in place which says that those who bid the lowest and have expertise, capability and resources are awarded the contract through a tendering process, Modi added.
"Government contracts are not awarded on the basis of caste or religion. But Congress wants to do that for its vote bank. Government buys arms and ammunition for our army from private players. So now are we going to give contracts to the people from a specific religion or select contractors who are qualified? Congress will destroy the country to be in power," said the PM.
The PM said the country cannot accept the opposition party's Muslim League plan to divide the country in every sector on religious lines.
"You will not be able to divide the country till Modi is alive," he said.
The prime minister said he will launch a nation-wide campaign after June 4, when poll results will be declared, to spread awareness about the Constitution.
"I will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Constitution with great fanfare. I will expose this gang which wants to alter the Constitution. I will reach out to people living in every corner of the country after counting ends on June 4. I will launch a mega campaign to spread awareness about the Constitution. It's high time we teach a lesson to these people," he said.
