Maharashtra elections 2024: Modi appeals to SCs, STs, OBCs to unite against Congress’s divisive politics

PM Narendra Modi with Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis during a public meeting in Dhule, on Friday

In his first election rally in Maharashtra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress, calling the arch-rival an anti-national force that conspired to divide communities and instigate them to fight against each other. He gave the slogan ‘ek hai toh safe hai' (united we are safe) to stand guard against the Congress's alleged plot.

Modi kicked off the campaign on Friday in Dhule, a tribal-dominated Lok Sabha segment where the BJP had lost by a slender margin. In his introductory remarks, Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis blamed the Dhule defeat on ‘vote jihad' in the Muslim-dominated Malegaon Assembly constituency. Later in the day, Modi addressed a rally in Nashik, which has a strong presence of the other backward classes (OBCs) and is considered BJP's traditional vote bank.

Narendra Modi pays tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Dr BR Ambedkar in Dhule. Pics/PTI

Blame it on Nehru-Gandhis

Modi came down heavily on the Congress's first family. He said, starting from Jawaharlal Nehru to Rahul Gandhi, the family was against the development of the scheduled castes (STs), scheduled tribes (STs), and OBCs. He accused the Congress of protecting terrorism, separatists, and the Pakistani agenda by passing a resolution in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly that Article 370 be reinstated. "They don't want Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution in Jammu and Kashmir," Modi said, calling out the Congress for spreading a fake narrative about SCs and STs in Maharashtra that their quota would go. Modi said it was the BJP under Atal Bihari Vajpayee that created a separate ministry and departments for the STs.

"After Nehru came Indira. They didn't want representation for the SCs and STs. Rajiv Gandhi opposed the OBC quota. They knew that their political shop would close down if the SCs, STs, and OBCs were strengthened. Yuvraj (Rahul Gandhi) is also doing the same. The Congress is instigating communities to fight against each other," added Modi.

Modi said in Nashik that the Congress hated the OBCs, who consolidated in the 90s. "Congress couldn't make a majority government ever since the OBCs became stronger. Their shop was shut, and hence they want OBCs destroyed. Congress's way to power will open up only when OBCs weaken," the PM said, adding, "The Congress hates the OBCs. It wonders how an OBC (Modi) becomes the PM for the third time in a row. They can't digest it. They can't sleep."

Conspiracy to split

The PM said there would be no bigger conspiracy against India than the divisive politics of the Congress. "Ek hai toh safe hai (united we are safe)," he said, asking the people to be united to stop the Congress from implementing its agenda. "Mahatma Gandhi wanted to dissolve the Congress because he knew what would ail the party. The Congress has been part of divisive conspiracies. It cut Kashmir off the mainstream. The Constitution did not apply in Jammu and Kashmir for 75 years. What was the reason that Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution was not implemented there? But when Modi came, he ended everything," said the PM, adding that the Congress's ploy would not succeed as long as he had people's blessings.

New high for development

Modi said the MVA vehicle had no wheels and the combine fought for the driver's seat. He assured that the pace of development the state had seen in the last two years would continue. "The development in Maharashtra will reach a new high in the next five years," he said. "We have also seen the MVA government. They first looted the government and then looted the people. They opposed projects like Metro, Vadhavan Port, and Samruddhi Marg. They stalled every project. Remember where there is BJP-Mahayuti there is momentum (of development)" Modi said.

He said ‘his friend' Fadnavis and CM Eknath Shinde along with Ajit Pawar had compiled a 10-point vachan-nama (guarantees) that promised the development of all sectors and individuals across the state. "It is a road map of future development. This will be a foundation for Maharashtra and India's growth," Modi said while praising the state leaders, especially Fadnavis, the party's face in Maharashtra.

Comparing the Mahayuti and MVA promises, Modi said the Congress and its allies were marketing falsehoods, because their governments in Telangana, Karnataka, and Himachal Pradesh didn't fulfil the manifesto. "Their shop has been shut. They couldn't keep their promises. They don't have the money to run the government and to pay salaries. They are collecting taxes to fill their own pockets and meet expenses. The people of Maharashtra know this very well," stated the PM, alleging that the MVA promises were designed for scams.

Women's welfare a priority

Modi stressed upon the welfare of women, blaming the Congress for delaying the emergence of women's power in India. "The Congress laughed when we started schemes for women's welfare," Modi said, recalling how the Congress leaders had approached the courts to stall the Ladki Bahin Yojana that has been appreciated across the country. "They have decided to stop the Ladki Bahin if they come to power," Modi told the audience asking them whether they wanted the scheme scrapped. He also mentioned an incident in which an MVA leader has been accused of using foul language against Mahayuti's woman candidate in Mumbai.

Double engine sarkar has worked wonders in Maharashtra, Modi said, adding that the state was number one in FDI and overall investments. He touched upon every possible vote base, including farmers and unemployed youth. He said as suggested by Fadnavis, the Centre would construct a greenfield airport near the upcoming Wadhwan Port, the biggest in the country.

Make Rahul praise Savarkar

"I understand that some MVA leaders have asked Yuvraj (Rahul) to stop abusing (VD) Savarkar if the MVA were to win in Maharashtra," he said while throwing a challenge at Uddhav Thackeray, a pro-Savarkar partner in the MVA, to make Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders praise the freedom fighter from the public platform. He also wondered why MVA partners didn't mention Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray in their speeches. "I will be waiting for this to happen. I will count the days to get an answer."

"Maharashtra has given me wholeheartedly whatever I demanded. I came here in the 2014 Assembly elections and asked you for a BJP government. You gave us an unprecedented victory then. I'm here again. I'm beginning the campaign from here. Please bless all candidates of BJP-Mahayuti," he appealed to the rally that would also influence the neighbouring ST-dominated Nandurbar district.