Chhattisgarh will be free of extremism if BJP wins: Amit Shah

Jagdalpur/Kondagaon, Oct 19 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday accused the Congress of encouraging Naxalism, and said incidents of Naxal violence have come down by 52 per cent in the nine-year rule of the Narendra Modi government.

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel turned Chhattisgarh into an "ATM for the Congress," Shah claimed, adding the Congress rule in the state was a "government of scams".

Addressing rallies in Jagdalpur and Kondagaon in poll-bound Chhattisgarh, he urged people to bring the BJP to power in the state, promising that his party will make the entire state free of the Naxal menace.

"Today, I have come to urge you to elect the BJP once again in the state, we will hang upside down those who have embezzled the money of tribals by committing scams,” Shah said.

He claimed that if the Congress comes back to power in Chhattisgarh, the money sent from the Centre for the state's development will be "diverted to Delhi through the 'ATM' of Congress".

Polling for the 90 assembly seats in Chhattisgarh is scheduled to be held in two phases on November 7 and 17 and votes will be counted on December 3.

Shah said the people of Chhattisgarh will celebrate Diwali thrice - once on the day of the festival, second when the BJP will be elected to power on December 3, and third when the construction of Ram temple (in Ayodhya) will be completed in January, as Chhattisgarh is Lord Ram's "nanihal" (the place of Lord Ram's maternal grandparents).

He held the first rally in Jagdalpur, the headquarters of Bastar district, ahead of the filing of nominations of BJP candidates in three constituencies of Bastar.

The Bastar region was once considered as the worst affected by Naxalism and the menace still persists in some places. "Elect the BJP to power in the state, we will free the entire state of the menace," Shah said.

"In 9 years of the Modi government, incidents of (Naxal) violence declined by 52 per cent, deaths (in Naxal violence) came down by 70 per cent, civilian deaths deceased by 68 per cent, while the (number of) Naxal-affected districts declined by 62 per cent," he said.

The BJP leader said, "If a policeman dies in Naxal violence, it is the tribal who dies, while if a Naxalite dies, then also it is the tribal who dies. Even when a common citizen dies in such an incident, it is the tribal who dies." During 15 years of the Raman Singh-led BJP rule in Chhattisgarh (2003-2018), the state saw development. PM Modi's government, in the nine years of its rule, is taking the country forward on the path of progress, he said.

"(Prime Minister) Modi ji has done a lot of work in the interest of tribals across the country. Apart from protecting their jal (water), jungle, zameen (land), the Modi government has worked to provide security, respect and inclusive development to tribals," he said.

Urging people to vote for the BJP, Shah said, "There are two options in front of you, one is the Congress which encourages Naxalism while on the other hand, there is the BJP which eliminates Naxalism. The Congress which sent crores of rupees of corruption to Delhi Darbar, while the BJP which is providing gas cylinders, toilets, drinking water, health facilities, grains and houses to crores of poor people." Targeting Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Shah asked what did the CM do in five years and alleged that he turned Chhattisgarh into an "ATM for the Congress".

"The Bhupesh Baghel government opened liquor shops in the state and committed a scam of Rs 2,000 crore. The Congress government committed coal transportation scam worth Rs 540 crore, PDS scam worth Rs 600 crore, Mahadev betting and gambling app scam worth Rs 5000 crore, rice distribution scam,” he said.

"I have heard of many scams, but I have not heard of such a person who would do a scam of Rs 1,300 crore in cow dung (procurement scheme)," he added.

Shah said the Congress government's "scam" in recruitment of the Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste persons in jobs compelled the youth from the two communities to stage a protest by stripping their clothes (in Raipur).

The Baghel government did not fulfil its promises and just transferred the money of poor tribals to the Congress leaders by turning the state into an "ATM", he alleged.

Accusing the Congress government of lying over the Nagarnar Steel Plant, recently inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi, Shah said the Congress has been saying the steel plant (of NMDC) will be privatised.

"Today I am saying that it will not be privatised. My tribal brothers and sisters have the right over this plant and Modi ji has already made it very clear,” he said.

Addressing another rally in Kondagaon, Shah accused the Congress of treating tribals as their vote bank and ignoring their welfare.

In 2018, (Congress leader) Rahul Gandhi made promises in this same place (Kondagaon). What happened to the promises then made by Bhupesh Baghel after taking the oath of 'gangajal' (water of the Ganga river). Did they fulfil the promises of half electricity bill, prohibition, unemployment allowance, etc? he asked.

The Congress rule has just become a “government of scams," he alleged.

"Will you vote for the Congress which commits loot? Will you allow the Congress to continue to loot, disrupt development, encourage religious conversion and Naxalism?” Shah asked the gathering.

If you want to stop all these things then there is only one way, that is to elect the BJP which is taking the country ahead on the path of development under the leadership of PM Modi, he said.

Twelve assembly seats of Bastar region are among the 20 constituencies in Chhattisgarh where voting will be held in the first phase. The remaining 70 constituencies will go to polls in the second phase. PTI TKP GK