Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized his commitment to steering clear of Hindu-Muslim politics while highlighting his determination to expose what he labeled as the Congress's strategy of appeasement. At a rally in Maharashtra, he criticized the Congress for its alleged plan to allocate a significant portion of the central government budget for minorities, rejecting the notion of dividing the budget or introducing reservations in jobs and education based on religion.
In his address at multiple rallies, Modi took aim at the Shiv Sena, referring to it as the "duplicate" Shiv Sena for its perceived alignment with the Congress. He accused the party of remaining silent on issues such as the Ram temple in Ayodhya and claimed it had surrendered to the Congress.
Modi argued that Congress thrives on creating divisions between Hindus and Muslims rather than development. He spoke about the earlier statements of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue of minority rights to come out hard against the appeasement politics of Congress.
Furthermore, Modi accused the Congress-led INDI alliance of seeking to implement policies that would divide people along religious lines. He criticized their purported agenda of offering reservations and budget allocations based on religion, emphasizing the importance of maintaining national unity.
The Prime Minister further stated that the Congress is moving toward appeasing some religious groups, such as the reported religious-based budget allocations and reservations. He warned against the ills of such divisive policies, quoting the opposition of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, the author of the Indian Constitution, to religion-based reservations.
Modi also attacked the Congress, accusing them of wanting to amass power and garnering smaller parties, saying that it would only result in the dilution of their principles. He reiterated his commitment to the rights of the marginalized sectors, and that the budget allocations and reservations should remain secular.
As the election date nears for the remaining Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, it seems that Modi's rhetoric had the intent of rallying support as well as reiterating his stand on what he considers as divisive politics orchestrated by the Congress and its allies.
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