BJP will never topple govt, says Amit Shah; dares Congress to call early polls in Rajasthan

BJP will never topple govt, says Amit Shah; dares Congress to call early polls in Rajasthan

PTIUpdated: Monday, December 06, 2021, 07:06 AM IST
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Union Home Minister Amit Shah | Photo Credit: PTI

Jaipur: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday dismissed accusations that the BJP tried to topple the Congress government in Rajasthan and dared the ruling party in the state to call early polls if it thinks it has the support of the people.

He said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will never try to destabilise the state government while exuding confidence that it will come to power in Rajasthan with a two-thirds majority in the 2023 Assembly polls.

Shah also called upon BJP leaders to "overthrow" the "useless and corrupt" Congress government in the state.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had earlier accused the saffron party of attempting to destabilise his government after his former deputy Sachin Pilot rebelled against him in July last year.

"They are always in fear that their government will collapse. Who is going to topple the government? No one...but why are you doing this...that your own people are running away," Shah said at a meeting with party leaders here.

"The BJP will never topple your government. The BJP will present its side before people and come to power with a strong mandate in 2023," he added.

"If you think that your government is doing well, then get the Assembly election conducted along with the Uttar Pradesh polls and you will get to know what the public wants. We want you to complete your tenure till 2023 and work for people," the former BJP chief said.

Addressing the party leaders, he said, "I have come to call upon you that in Rajasthan, the useless and corrupt Ashok Gehlot government has to be overthrown and a BJP government has to be formed." The home minister targeted the state government over several issues, including law and order, corruption and unemployment.

He accused the Gehlot government of stopping several public welfare schemes introduced by the previous BJP regime in the state led by Vasundhara Raje and creating hurdles in the implementation of central schemes.

"In Rajasthan, the definition of law and order has been redefined by the state government. Here, law and order means 'lo (take) and give order'. The government is corrupt. It has set up a transfer industry," Shah alleged.

He claimed that the state has seen a 40-per cent rise in robbery cases, 25-per cent hike in cases of kidnapping and a 21-per cent increase in rape cases under the Congress rule.

Shah demanded that the state government reduce the Value-Added Tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel on the lines of the BJP-ruled states to provide relief to people.

He said the Narendra Modi government at the Centre has secured the country's borders and introduced the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana so that no one goes to sleep on an empty stomach during the coronavirus pandemic, provided free ration to 80 crore people, implemented a new education policy and addressed problems and issues such as "triple talaq", abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution and the Ram temple, which persisted in the country for years.

The Modi government took the revenge of the Uri and Pulwama terror attacks by conducting air and surgical strikes, whereas during the UPA rule, former prime minister Manmohan Singh did not say anything on such incidents, Shah said.

He said the Congress-led UPA ruled the country for 10 years during which Indian soldiers were attacked on the border, they were beheaded but the government did nothing.

Shah also referred to Manmohan Singh as "mauni (silent) baba". The home minister also took a jibe at Rahul Gandhi, saying he does not know whether the Congress leader works, but he certainly tweets.

He said Gandhi had promised that farm loans would be waived within 10 days of the formation of a Congress government in Rajasthan and asked what happened to that promise.

Shah said the Modi government is giving Rs 6,000 annually to farmers and a sum of Rs 1.5 lakh crore has been given to more than 10 crore farmers so far. He alleged that the Congress government in the state prefers to fill its coffers, instead of focussing on the problems of people.

Shah said it was the Modi government that worked to eliminate poverty while the previous Congress regimes "removed the poor".

He highlighted the achievements of the BJP-led government at the Centre, citing the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status and the laying of the foundation stone for a Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Shah, who arrived in Jaipur from Jaisalmer, earlier addressed the concluding session of the two-day BJP state Working Committee meeting. State BJP president Satish Poonia and former chief minister Vasundhara Raje welcomed the Union home minister at the airport. Shah reached Jaipur's Sitapura for the programmes, covering a distance of nine kilometre in a roadshow.

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