Rahul's poll guarantees in Himachal, Karnataka came a cropper: Amit Shah

Chandigarh, Sep 29 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday kept up the attack on the Congress in poll-bound Haryana, alleging Rahul Gandhi's election guarantees have come a cropper in states such as Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka where the grand old party is in power.

Addressing an election rally in Gurugram's Badshahpur, he said at the time of polls, the Congress makes tall promises.

But they are not able to fulfil their poll promises in Himachal, Karnataka and Telangana, Shah said, adding "Rahul Gandhi's guarantees have come a cropper".

On the other hand, the BJP does not make any promise which it cannot fulfil, the Union Home Minister.

"Rahul Baba and company cannot undertake development" and it is the double-engine government that will ensure Haryana's development, he said. "We will secure the country's border, we will protect reservation and never allow Article 370 to return." Referring to the Waqf Bill, Shah told the rally, "You have a problem with the current legislation on Waqf Board... we will amend it in the Winter Session of Parliament." Several opposition leaders last month alleged the BJP-led NDA government's Waqf Amendment Bill aims at creating a divide in the society and asserted that they would strongly oppose it.

Campaigning for party candidates in the Gurugram region, including Rao Narbir Singh from Badshahpur, Shah said every 10th soldier in the Army comes from Haryana.

From Indira Gandhi to Manmohan Singh, the Congress did not fulfil the demand of One Rank One Pension and it was the Narendra Modi government that gave One Rank One Pension in 2015, the Union Home Minister said.

Lashing out at Rahul Gandhi over the Agnipath scheme, Shah described Rahul Gandhi as a "lying machine" and alleged that the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha has claimed that Agniveers would not get jobs.

The Agniveer scheme has been introduced to ensure a youthful profile of the armed forces, he said.

With the Congress consistently targeting the BJP over the issue, Shah told the gathering, "Don't hesitate to send your children to Army. Haryana and the Centre will give pensionable jobs to every single Agniveer." "After five years, you will not find even one Agniveer who will be without a pensionable job," he said.

With Navratri starting on October 3, Shah said, "On October 5, while casting your vote, you have to give an answer to Rahul Baba and his party Congress as to who insults Shakti (the goddess)." He alleged that the Congress was "blinded by appeasement".

Targeting the Bhupinder Singh Hooda dispensation, he said the previous Congress governments used to undertake the development of one caste and one district.

In 2014, the people of Haryana elected a BJP government and in the past 10 years, equitable development has been undertaken, Shah said.

"Dealers, 'dalals' (middlemen) and 'damads' (son-in-law) used to rule during Hooda government's time and corruption was rampant, Shah alleged. "Several acres of land in Gurugram was destroyed to make 'Delhi's damad' wealthy." "Hooda sahab, even today, your people are ready. I saw on WhatsApp a candidate of your party is saying to make him an MLA and he will give 50 jobs to each of his supporters. How will he do so? Are there rules or not?" "Whenever Congress rule comes, jobs are given on the basis of "Kharchi and parchi" (cash for jobs) whereas BJP government gave 1.5 lakh jobs purely based on merit," the Union Home Minister said.

He said that if the BJP retains power in Haryana, 5 lakh jobs would be given to youths in five years purely on based on merit.

Shah alleged that "Pakistan Zindabad" slogans were raised at Congress rallies, from Hathin to Thanesar and from Thanesar to Palwal.

"I want to ask Rahul baba, why are you silent when your party leaders and workers are raising Pakistan Zindabad slogans? Why don't you stop them? Congress has been blinded by appeasement," he said.

On the Article 370 issue, Shah alleged the Congress wanted to restore it in Jammu and Kashmir. "Kashmir is our own and till the time the Modi government is there, only the tricolour will flutter there," he said.

"Brave soldiers of Haryana have made several sacrifices for Kashmir's security and we will not let that go to waste," Shah told the rally.

Alleging that when the Congress was in Power in Haryana, they used to procure only wheat and paddy at MSP whereas the BJP government has decided that 24 crops will be procured at MSP, the senior BJP leader said.

He also talked about the significant hike in MSP for various crops during the BJP government.

Referring to Rahul Gandhi's recent remarks that the Congress would think of scrapping reservations when "India is a fair place", Shah said till the time there are BJP, OBC and SC they would not allow the party to touch reservations.

"The UPA government gave Rs 41,000 crore to Haryana between 2004 and 2014 whereas the Modi government gave Rs 2.92 lakh crore between 2014 and 2024", he said.

Haryana goes to polls on October 5 and results will be declared on October 8. PTI