BJP VS Congress: PM Says Cong Doing 'Vote Jihad'; Kharge Slams Modi Over 'Personal Letter' To NDA Candidates

The reservation row has been going on for some time now with Prime Minister Narendra Modi having made repeated remarks on Congress's poll promises, alleging that the party will redistribute country's wealth if it is voted to power.

ALSO READ | 'Till I'm Alive...' PM Modi Says 'Won't Let Reservation Meant For OBC, SC/STs Go To Muslims'

"Congress wants to change India's Constitution to give reservation of SC, ST and OBC communities to Muslims... I challenge Congress to give in writing that it won't give backdoor quota to Muslims in states where it and its allies are in power," PM Modi said in Gujarat on Thursday.

"Some powers in the world want a weak government to be at the helm in India... We had heard about 'love jihad' and 'land jihad', but an INDI alliance leader has now called for vote jihad," the PM added.

PM Modi also accused Congress of being a "follower" of Pakistan. "Look at the coincidence, today Congress is getting weak in India. The funny thing is that here Congress is dying and there Pakistan is crying. Now Pakistani leaders are praying for Congress. Pakistan is eager to make the prince the Prime Minister and we already know that Congress is a fan of Pakistan. This partnership between Pakistan and Congress has now been completely exposed," PM Modi said.

PM's Attacks On Congress Over Reservation

This is not the first time the Prime Minister has attacked the Congress alleging it plans to distribute country's resources among the Muslims.

Addressing a public rally in Telangana's Zahirabad, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the Congress is "trying to fool the country in the name of the Constitution," adding that till the time he is alive he "won't let them give the reservation meant for Dalits, SCs, STs, and OBCs to the Muslims in the name of religion."

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PM's latest attacks at Congress, while naming the Muslim community, comes days after sparking a row similar comments he made at another election rally. PM Modi on April 21, addressing the rally in Rajasthan's Banswara, said the Congress plans to give people's hard-earned money and valuables to "infiltrators" and "those who have more children", naming the Muslim community. 

While PM Modi may have made controversial remarks against Congress's poll promises, these BJP claim have stemmed from Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's statements itself. On April 6, a day after the Congress released its manifesto, Rahul Gandhi at a rally in Hyderabad had said if voted to power, the party will conduct a financial and institutional survey to ascertain the distribution of wealth among the people in the country.

“We will first conduct a nationwide caste census to determine how many people belong to the Other Backward Classes [OBCs], Scheduled Castes [SCs], Scheduled Tribes [STs) and minorities. After that, we will conduct a financial and institutional survey in a historic step to ascertain the distribution of wealth.”

Asserting that the Congress will ensure representation of all communities in all sectors, Rahul Gandhi said the party will ensure that it will give the rightful share of the people.

PM's Letter To NDA Candidates Against Congress

Amid the war between BJP and Congress, latter's president Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over letter to NDA candidates, saying desperation leading him to use language not befitting of PM.

Kharge on Thursday said when the elections are over, people will only remember him as the PM who indulged in "divisive and communal speeches filled with lies" to avoid an inevitable defeat. Kharge urged the prime minister to seek votes on the performance of his government over the last ten years instead of indulging in "hate speeches".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the BJP-led NDA candidates in the Lok Sabha polls to spread awareness among voters about the Congress's intention to snatch "reservation from SC, ST and OBC communities and give it away to their vote bank".

ALSO READ | Congress Manifesto For Lok Sabha Polls: J&K Statehood, Law For LGBTQIA+, Quotas, MSP & More| Key Promises

In a personal letter written to them, PM Modi accused the Congress and its allies of having divisive and discriminatory motives, even though reservation on the basis of religion is unconstitutional.

"They are also bent upon taking away the hard-earned wealth of the people and giving it to their vote bank. The Congress has also made it clear that they will bring in dangerous ideas like inheritance tax. The nation must unite to stop them," news agency PTI quoted lines from PM Modi's letter.