Cong creating north-south divide to break India: Amit Shah

Launching a blistering attack on the opposition INDIA bloc, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday accused the Congress of creating a north-south divide to break the country.

Addressing an election rally at Guraru block of Gaya district which falls under Aurangabad Lok Sabha seat, he also accused the Congress and the RJD of indulging in the politics of appeasement. "The Congress party is creating a north-south divide to break the nation which the NDA-led Central government and people of the country will not allow. Their leader Rahul Gandhi is maintaining a stoic silence on this," Shah said.

People have now made up their mind to give a befitting reply to such divisive forces in the Lok Sabha polls and will ensure 400 plus seats for the NDA, the BJP leader said.

They (Congress and RJD) are indulging in politics of appeasement and that is the reason they are protesting the removal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, said Shah. "Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. The NDA government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi abrogated Article 370 on August 5, 2019, which Congress never wanted," he said.

During the Congress regime, terror strikes in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country were a routine affair, but after Modi became the prime minister, "we carried out surgical strike and destroyed terror camps in Pakistan," said Shah.

Praising the developmental works done by the NDA government, he said, "India will become the third largest economy in the world when Modi ji becomes the PM for the third term. Modi ji becoming PM for the third term means complete elimination of Left Wing Extremism and terrorism".

The BJP leader also claimed that the Congress and RJD chief Lalu Prasad never wanted Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

"They kept on creating hurdles in the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya. But, Modi ji made it possible…Now, Lord Rama will celebrate his birthday at Ayodhya temple on April 17 (Ram Navami)," he said.

As far as development works done by the NDA in Bihar are concerned, Shah said the NDA government made Aurangabad and its surrounding areas and districts in Jharkhand Naxal-free in the last five years.

"Several ITIs, central and Jawahar schools, mobile towers and bank branches have been opened in Aurangabad and Gaya districts in the last five years," he said.

The electorate of Bihar will ensure that the NDA wins all 40 seats in Bihar, said Shah. He also claimed Congress and RJD leaders never thought of conferring Bharat Ratna to former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur, but Modi did it, said Shah.

The union home minister further claimed, "The Congress and its allies, including RJD, opposed ban on triple talaq, Uniform Civil Code, ban on Popular Front of India, criticised Ramcharitmanas and National Song of India Vande Mataram". The Congress and RJD leaders are involved in more than 45 corruption cases amounting to Rs 12 lakh crore, he alleged.

Shah said the NDA government has decided to pay the invested money to all those who were duped by the Sahara group.