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Couldn’t bring quota as CM, happy to do so as PM: Modi

AGRA/SOLAPUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that his government was to the poor among upper caste without affecting the rights of Dalits and backwards.

Addressing rallies in Agra and Solapur (Maharashtra) after launching multi-thousand-crore development projects, Modi said that as CM he was of the view that such a reservation could not be granted without a constitutional amendment and he was happy that as PM he has been able to implement it.

“We have brought in this reservation without depriving others — the SCs, the STs or the backward classes — of their rights. We will increase 10% seats in educational institutes to ensure that everyone gets what they are entitled to,” he said, accusing the opposition of spreading lies about the move.

He also accused the opposition parties of ganging up against the “chowkidar” in order to cover their own misdeeds. Taking a dig at the proposed SP-BSP alliance in UP, he said that the two, who could not see eye to eye, have joined hands as they are afraid of the “chowkidar”.

Referring to the 1995 incident when Mayawati was allegedly targeted by SP workers at a Lucknow guesthouse after she withdrew support to the Mulayam Singh Yadav government, Modi, said, “They have even forgotten the humiliation at the guesthouse. Their sole motive is to cover each other’s black deeds. UP mein baalu, maurang khaane waalon ne haath mila liya hai (Those who got kickbacks from illegal mining have joined hands in UP),” he said referring to the mining scam in UP.

Responding to the SP-BSP’s claims that the recent CBI raids in the alleged mining scam during Akhilesh Yadav’s tenure were out of political vendetta, Modi said: “What do they think, that investigating agencies would stop looking into their scams? Investigations will continue and the guilty will be punished.”

While the PM, who launched the party’s poll campaign in UP with a massive public rally at Kothi Meena Bazar ground, refrained from mentioning the word “Rafale”, he targeted Congress by referring to defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s recent response to the opposition party in the Lok Sabha and claimed that she had demolished “every lie” by the opposition.

He dubbed the opposition’s subsequent barbs against Sitharaman as an insult to the women of the country and said that it was a matter of pride that India, for the first time in its history, had a woman defence minister.

In Solapur, he quoted media reports to indicate that alleged middleman Christian Michel, arrested in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, was also lobbying for a fighter aircraft deal during the UPA regime. Modi termed Congress leaders as friends of “commission agents” and said the onus was on that party to come clean and explain what was driving its allegations on the current Rafale fighter jet deal. He said some Congress leaders were “nervous” and “upset” when “Michel Mama” was extradited.

“The agencies are investigating, but Congress needs to provide an answer to the people. Congress has played with the security of our country,” he said.

On the passage of the Citizenship Bill, Modi said the rights of the people of Assam and those in other parts of the north-east will not be affected or curtailed because of the bill. “The road for citizenship for the sons of Bharat Mata, who stay in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan but love our soil, has been cleared now. It is our duty to protect them,” he said.

In his first public rally after the Lok Sabha passed a constitutional amendment to pave the way for 10% quota for upper castes, Modi accused Congress and other opposition parties of spreading lies and misleading the people on the issue. “Some were saying that the new quota would be introduced by snatching away reservations for Dalits, adivasis and OBCs. The smooth passage of the bill is a strong message to those who are spreading lies. The rights of the deprived class will not be affected by this bill,” he said.

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