No question of change of Constitution, abolition of reservation: Amit Shah in Guwahati

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaApril 30, 2024

Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday clarified that BJP’s goal of surpassing 400 seats in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections is not to change the Constitution and end reservations. 

“There is no plan for a change of Constitution and reservation of ST, SC and OBC communities. The Congress and opposition parties have been launching propaganda that BJP would change the Constitution and reservation if they surpass 400 seats in the election,” Shah said while addressing a press conference at Vajpayee Bhawan here on Tuesday.

Shah said: “The Congress has now resorted to misleading citizens with fake videos out of panic and fear of defeat. The right to reservations in the country belongs to SC, ST, and OBC brothers and sisters, and as long as the BJP government is in office, no one can change it.”

The home minister, however, clarified that the Union Civil Code (UCC) will be introduced all across the country if the BJP comes to power this time.

“The INDI Alliance has given reservations to Muslims, reducing the share of SCs, STs, and OBCs. Congress is misleading people by editing a speech of mine in which I committed to abolishing the unconstitutional reservations for Muslims. Directions have been issued to the police to address this issue as per the law,” Shah said. 

“If you come across any such fake video anywhere, please inform us about the details of the disseminator. We will take strict action against the culprits,” Shah also said.

In the press conference, the fake video spread by the Congress and the actual speech video of the Union minister were also presented to the journalists.

Shah highlighted that two out of the seven phases of the election have been completed. In these two phases, based on the BJP’s internal assessment, BJP and NDA have significantly secured far more than 100 seats. 

“With great confidence, the blessings and the support of the people, BJP is moving forward toward the goal of ‘400 Paar’. In Assam, Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand, BJP appears to be achieving significant electoral success,” Shah said.

“Alongside this, voting has already taken place in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala in the south, with some parts left in other regions, but the initial trends show that BJP is receiving a very good response in southern India as well,” Shah further said. 

“Due to these reasons, the goal of ‘400 Paar’ is certain to be achieved,” he said.

The Union minister said that for a few days now, the Congress party has been trying to twist the goal of ‘400 Paar’. They have tried to portray the goal as a means to change the Constitution, while also spreading false claims that BJP will abolish reservations after surpassing 400 seats. Both of these claims are baseless. 

“The people of the country have given BJP a clear majority in both 2014 and 2019 elections. The party has been running a government with a clear majority for 10 years. Unlike Congress, we have not used our majority to impose an emergency and strangle democracy, extend the term of the Lok Sabha, or amend the Constitution. Instead, we have used our majority to end Article 370 and triple talaq,” the Union minister said. 

“We have also used it to combat COVID-19, to replace colonial laws with laws rooted in Indian culture and tradition and with the court’s decision in hand, the government has played its role in the construction of the Ram Mandir,” he said.

Shah further claimed that the Congress party is spreading falsehoods to incite unrest among the people.  He clarified that the BJP supports reservations for SC-ST/OBC communities and will continue to protect them. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reiterated this stance in many public speeches. 

“If any political party has attempted to compromise reservations for SC-ST and OBC communities, it is the Congress party,” he further said.

The BJP leader claimed that Congress first introduced reservations for Muslims in the united Andhra Pradesh region, which led to a reduction in OBC reservations. Subsequently, in Karnataka, they placed all Muslims in the OBC category without proper surveys or assessments of backwardness and reserved a 4% quota for them, again diminishing reservations for backward classes. 

“BJP believes that reservations based on religion are not constitutional and are against the principles of the Constitution. When we take power in these states, we will eliminate reservations based on religion and work to ensure justice for SC-ST and OBC communities,” he said.

The senior BJP leader said that Congress’ distribution of a fake video of him is a reflection of their desperation and disillusionment. Congress is attempting to mislead the public with this fake video, and senior Congress leaders have backed it. However, the BJP has shared the original video with the public, exposing the falsehoods spread by Congress.

“Since Rahul Gandhi took charge of the Congress, politics has descended to the lowest level. Preventing discussions in the Lok Sabha, boycotting debates in the Rajya Sabha, and spreading baseless rumours among the public are examples of this low-level politics, which the Congress under his leadership continues to engage in. Now, their attempt to disseminate fake videos to garner fake public support is highly condemnable and no major political party in Indian politics has ever done such a thing,” Shah said.

Shah urged journalists to deliver the truth and protect the public from misinformation. Instead of spreading fake videos and distorting the BJP’s manifesto, the opposition political parties should contest elections based on their principles, actions and manifestos.