Rahul Gandhi at Jharkhand poll rally: 'BJP burnt Manipur'

Attacking the BJP, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday (November 8) accused the saffron party of "burning" Manipur and making attempts to divide people across the country on religious lines.

The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha also alleged that the saffron party deprived 90 per cent of the nation's population of their due rights and benefits.

"The BJP burnt Manipur and attempted to divide people on religious lines. It incited Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Sikhs against each other. In recently held Haryana elections, the BJP incited Jats against non-Jats...It is the character of the BJP," Rahul alleged while addressing an election rally in Lohardaga in Jharkhand.

Also read: Hindus facing atrocities in Jharkhand; JMM coalition turned Ranchi into Karachi: MP CM

The Congress leader also claimed that he undertook a 4,000-km padyatra from Kashmir to Kanyakumari to "spread the message of love and to open 'nafrat ke bazar me Mohabbat ki dukan' (to open shops of love in the market of hatred)".

"When I raise my voice for tribals and Dalits, the BJP accuses me of dividing India. I am here to unite and strengthen India. If I am wrong for raising the voice for 90 per cent of India's population, which constitutes tribals, Dalits and OBCs, for their participation in governance, I will continue to do so," he claimed.

He alleged that the BJP waived loans of 25 capitalists worth Rs 16 lakh crore but blamed the Congress for easing farmers' debts to the tune of Rs 72,000 crore during the UPA regime.

"Did the BJP government waive any loan of Jharkhand farmers?...No because you are tribals, Dalits and OBCs. The BJP will never waive your debts because it waives debts of capitalists," he alleged.

Also read: PM Modi attacks Opposition in Jharkhand: 'Mothers and daughters are in shock'

Addressing another rally at Simdega, he accused the BJP of trying to snatch 'Jal, Jungle, Jameen' (water, forest, land) from tribal people.

He termed the Jharkhand polls as a fight of ideology between the INDIA bloc and the BJP-RSS combine.

The Congress leader alleged that the RSS-BJP's mission was to "destroy" the Constitution of the country, while the INDIA bloc "wanted to protect" it.

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"PM (Narendra) Modi calls you 'vanvasi' as the BJP believes that land, forest and water belong to the saffron party, RSS and capitalists. The BJP believes in grabbing tribal land under its newly coined word development. It wants to snatch 'Jal, Jungle, Jameen' (water, forest, land) from tribals," Rahul alleged while addressing a rally in Jharkhand's Simdega.

'Constitution under constant attack'

He also claimed that the Constitution was under "constant attack" and the INDIA bloc was making "all efforts to protect it".

The Congress, if voted to power, will ensure caste census and removal of the 50 per cent cap on the reservation, he claimed.

"The Constitution is under constant attack and it needs to be protected. We will remove the cap of 50 per cent reservation at any cost. If we are voted to power in Jharkhand, we will raise the reservation of STs to 28 per cent from the present 26 per cent, SCs to 12 per cent from the current 10 per cent and OBCs to 27 per cent from the existing 14 per cent," he claimed.

Caste census 'a must'

He also asserted that a caste census is "a must to identify the participation of tribals, Dalits and OBCs" in various institutions and wealth of the country.

"When I raised the issue in Parliament, PM Modi was silent and later said that Rahul Gandhi wants to divide the country," the Congress leader claimed.

This was Rahul’s second visit to Jharkhand after the Assembly poll was announced.

The polls will be held in two phases on November 13 and 20 and counting will take place on November 23.

(With agency inputs)