MUMBAI, May 13: During a rally in Maharashtra’s Dhule district, Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of refraining from visiting the Ram temple in Ayodhya due to fear of losing his vote bank. Shah also criticized Gandhi for opposing the abrogation of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and questioned the stance of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Gandhi’s position. The Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) are part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra and the INDIA alliance at the national level.
Shah highlighted the consecration of Lord Ram’s idol at the Ayodhya temple earlier this year and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his role in resolving the Ram temple issue. He alleged that Gandhi declined the invitation to the temple inauguration due to apprehensions about losing his vote bank, contrasting the BJP’s purported lack of such concerns.
Criticizing the Congress’s stance on Article 370, Shah accused Gandhi of practicing appeasement politics. He called on Uddhav Thackeray to clarify his position on Gandhi’s views and questioned the Shiv Sena leader’s stance on the Congress’s alleged disrespect towards Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar. Shah also sought Thackeray’s opinion on statements made by DMK leader M K Stalin’s son, Udhayanidhi Stalin, regarding Sanatan Dharma.
Further targeting Gandhi, Shah questioned his leadership capabilities and government’s effectiveness in dealing with various national challenges, including Pakistan, Naxalism, terrorism, and economic prosperity. Shah was campaigning for BJP’s candidate Subhash Bhamre in the Dhule Lok Sabha constituency, where polling is scheduled for May 20. (Agencies)
