Threat to democracy Congress propaganda, Rahul Gandhi can promise Taj Mahal as he is not coming to power: Devendra Fadnavis

In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the INDIA bloc raised two major issues: threat to democracy and threat to the Constitution. When asked for his response to the Opposition’s apprehensions, Fadnavis said, “It is false propaganda of the INDIA bloc.”

On Rahul Gandhi’s promise of Rs 1 lakh to women annually if voted to power, Fadnavis said, “Rahul Gandhi can promise Taj Mahal for every citizen as he knows Congress will not win Lok Sabha elections 2024.”

Fadnavis said the world looks at India to understand the success of democracy as he invoked the Emergency period under Indira Gandhi.

“Former Congress PM Indira Gandhi tried to stifle democracy by imposing an Emergency. But it did not last. If ever any attempt was made to finish democracy it was done by Congress, he said.

“PM Narendra Modi has always strictly adhered to and governed in accordance with the Indian Constitution. The Congress’s attempt to depict the BJP as anti-Constitution is a political ploy, as they have nothing to talk about regarding development. By now, the people know the truth. They will not fall prey to the Opposition’s rhetoric,” he added.

At the Bhandara rally held two days ago, Rahul Gandhi attacked the Modi government for allegedly failing Other Backward Classes (OBC). While demanding a caste census, Gandhi said how OBCs have not been given adequate representation in government and private sectors.

Responding to Gandhi’s views, Fadnavis said, “The Congress has no right to speak on the OBC. In the last 70 years, they never addressed the concerns of the OBC. It was during Modi’s ten-year rule that the OBC Commission got constitutional validity. Almost 60 per cent of ministers in the Modi government are from OBC. In Maharashtra, during my tenure as CM (2014-2019), I set up a separate OBC cell for welfare schemes. The highest allocation for OBC development was given during our tenure in the state.”

The Congress has always used OBCs, Dalits and tribals as vote banks to serve its vested interests. He added that the Modi government is empowering OBCs, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes through innovative schemes.

Fadnavis said the BJP’s Lok Sabha polls manifesto promises higher minimum support prices to farmers and free health care to citizens above 70 years, irrespective of income.

“A dedicated agriculture satellite to monitor climatic challenges will go a long way in helping and guiding farmers to tackle erratic climate changes. PM Modi guarantees the efforts to make digital systems accessible to small and marginal farmers,” he added.