Bemetara (Chhattisgarh) [India], April 26 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised the governance of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Chhattisgarh on Friday and said that the BJP had transformed 'Bimaru' Chhattisgarh into a developed state in less than two decades.
Amit Shah also came down heavily upon the Congress party on Friday, claiming that the Congress was against the formation of the state and worked for bringing Naxalism in Chhattisgarh for its political gains.
Addressing a public rally in Bemetara, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, "Congress was against the formation of Chhattisgarh. It was BJP leader and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who formed Chhattisgarh. Within 20 years of the BJP's governance in the state, 'Bimaru' Chhattisgarh was changed into developed Chhattisgarh."
Lauding the efforts of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the development of the state, Amit Shah said that the party worked in food distribution for the poor, determined the right prices for paddy in the state and also worked to uproot Naxalism.
"The poor people did not receive rice under the Public Distribution System (PDS), The BJP delivered it. The BJP worked to determine the right prices for paddy. And the biggest achievement is that, in the next two years, the BJP will help remove Naxalism from Chhattisgarh," said Shah.
Amit Shah further said that the Congress party worked for the "paalan poshan" (upbringing) of Naxalism for its political gains when it was in power in the state.
"Congress party ne apne raajneetik swarthya ke karan, naxal waad ka paalan poshan karne ka kaam kia,"said Shah, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi swept off Naxalism from the country during his tenure of 10 years.
"When PM Modi became the Prime Minister, Naxalism was eradicated from the entire country, within 10 years of his tenure but some Naxals remained in Chhattisgarh because Congress party's Bhupesh Baghel was in power here," he said.
Adding further, Shah said that as soon as the BJP took power in the state, several Naxalites were either arrested or surrendered.
Speaking to the gathering, Amit Shah said, "As soon as the people of Chhattisgarh elected BJP's Vishnu Deo Sai as the Chief Minister of the state, the state government eliminated about 90 Naxalites in just a matter of 4 months. 123 people were arrested and 225 left their weapons and surrendered."
Shah also urged voters to elect Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a third consecutive term, promising that if PM Modi were to come to power again, the BJP would uproot Naxalism from the state of Chhattisgarh.
Shah said, "The Prime Minister has done a lot of work for the development of the country in the past decade, however, some of his works have been quite unforgettable."
Taking a jab at Congress he said, "The Congress party had kept the question of the Ram Janmabhoomi hanging for the past 70 years, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the dream of the grand Ram Temple come true."
"Congress ne Ram Janmabhoomi ko ko "atkakar, latkakar aur bhatkakar" rakha tha," he said.
"However, when Prime Minister Modi was elected as the Prime Minister for the second time in 2019, the question of the Ram Janmabhoomi was won. The case was solved, Bhumi Pujan was performed and the Pran Pratishtha also took place on January 22, 2024," he added.
He further took a swipe at the Congress for not attending the grand Pran Pratishtha ceremony and said, "Rahul baba was invited to Pratishtha but he did not go to Ayodhya because he was afraid about his "vote bank."
Addressing the gathering, he said, "Those who rejected the invitation to the Pran Pratishtha of Lord Shri Ram Lalla for "vote bank politics," do not do not have the right to rule this country."
Despite the scorching heat, polling stations across the State of Chhattisgarh witnessed large numbers of enthusiastic citizens waiting to cast their votes in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Friday.
Amidst sweltering temperatures, many voters emphasised the importance of casting their votes, urging others to do the same and stressing the direct impact of government decisions on their lives.
Despite the discomfort, their commitment to participating in the electoral process remained unwavering. In this fervour for democracy, voters unite, emphasising the significance of each ballot cast amidst the heat of electoral fervour.
At least 53.09 per cent of the electorate cast their votes till 1 pm in three constituencies in Chhattisgarh in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Friday.
The tribal-dominated Kanker seat recorded a 60.15 per cent voter turnout, followed by Mahasamund with 52.06 per cent and Rajnandgaon with 47.82 per cent, he said.
BJP's Santosh Pandey is seeking his second straight term in Rajnandgaon, while the opposition Congress has fielded its firebrand leader and former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel against him.
So far, the Congress has won this seat in general elections eight times and once in a bypoll, while the BJP has won the poll seven times and the Janata Party once.
"