Maharashtra Assembly elections: No Muslim quota even if your fourth generation comes, Amit Shah tells Rahul Gandhi

Union Home Minister Amit Shah. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

Union Home Minister Amit Mr. Shah on Wednesday (November 13, 2024) said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should remember that even if his “fourth generation were to come”, Muslims won’t get reservations meant for SCs, STs and OBCs.

“A few days ago, Ulemas met the president of Congress party and said that Muslims should be given reservation,” Mr. Shah said, addressing a rally for the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly elections.

“If reservation has to be given to Muslims, then reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs will have to be cut. Rahul Baba, not only you but even if your four generations were to come, they cannot cut the quota meant for SCs, STs and OBCs and give it to Muslims,” Mr. Shah said.

Mr. Shah also said Article 370 won’t be restored, come what may. “Even if Indira Gandhi were to return from heaven, Article 370 won’t be restored,” Mr. Shah said.

On Congress leader Sushilkumar Shinde’s statement that he was scared during his visit to Srinagar’s Lal Chowk when he was the Union Home Minister, Mr. Shah said, “Shinde ji, go to Kashmir now along with your grandkids, no harm will come to you.” “During 10 years of the Sonia-Manmohan regime, terrorists used to come freely from Pakistan and trigger bomb blasts here,” Mr. Shah said.

Describing the opposition’s Maha Vikas Aghadi grouping in Maharashtra as Aurangzeb Fan Club, Mr. Shah said the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance abides by the ideals of Shivaji Maharaj and Veer Savarkar.

“This MVA alliance only wants to appease and Uddhav ji has forgotten the principles of Balasaheb Thackeray for the sake of power,” Mr. Shah said.

“Uddhav Babu, you are sitting with those who opposed renaming Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar, who opposed the construction of Ram temple, who opposed the abolition of triple talaq, who opposed the abolition of Article 370, who opposed the surgical strikes and who call Hindus terrorists,” Mr. Shah said.

“I have travelled all over Maharashtra and can say with confidence that Mahayuti will sweep the November 20 Assembly polls,” he said.

“The ‘ladli behnas’ [women] of Maharashtra are with the lotus flower and the BJP,” Mr. Shah said. The Mahayuti will form the next government in Maharashtra with the highest ever number of seats, he added.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders are opposing all the communities, Mr. Shah said.

“They gave a statement against [Hindu seer] Ramgiri Maharaj. They caused riots in Sindkheda and they are promoting such people who are not good for Maharashtra and the country,” he added.

“People in this country are troubled by the Waqf law. Recently, the Waqf Board in Karnataka decided that entire villages are Waqf property. 400-year-old temples, farmers’ land and people’s houses became Waqf property.

“We have brought a bill to amend the Waqf Act, but Rahul Baba and Pawar Sahab are opposing the bill. Rahul Gandhi, listen, PM Modi will definitely amend the Waqf Act,” Mr. Shah said.