HM Amit Shah slams Mahagathbandhan, says, ‘I pray to Chhath Maiya that…’

Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday slammed the Opposition ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections and warned the people against the return of “jungle raj” if the RJD and Congress-led Mahagathbandhan comes to power. Addressing public meetings in Khagaria, Munger and Nalanda, Amit Shah conveyed his congratulations on the Chhath Puja festival and prayed that Bihar stays away from “jungle raj”. In Khagaria, Shah said: “You all know that the great Chhath festival has started today. I wish all the people of Bihar a very happy Chhath festival. I pray to Chhath Maiya that our Bihar remains free from jungle raj, law and order remains strong, our sisters and daughters remain safe and Bihar becomes a developed state in the future. That is what I want to pray to Chhath Maiya.”

He also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Operation Sindoor and criticized the Congress and RJD for remaining “silent” on “vote bank greed” during the UPA government when “Pakistan was attacking every day”. Addressing an election rally in Khagaria, Shah emphasized that Prime Minister Modi had made India safe by retaliating after terror attacks in Uri, Pulwama and Pahalgam. “Prime Minister Modi made our country safe. During the UPA government, Pakistan attacked every day. Driven by vote bank greed, the Sonia, Manmohan and Lalu governments remained silent,” the BJP leader said. “After Modi ji came to power, three attacks were carried out: Uri, Pulwama and Pahalgam. Surgical strike and air strike were carried out and Operation Sindoor was launched after Pahalgam. Modi ji worked to ensure India’s security. He worked to make India prosperous.”

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the terrorist attack in the Pahalgam region of Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, in which 26 people were killed by Pakistan-backed terrorists. He also claimed that elections in the state required six phases when the RJD was in power, but now it requires only two phases reflecting better law and order under the NDA government. “During the Lalu-Rabri era, law and order in Bihar had deteriorated to the extent that elections required six phases. Under Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Modi, it was reduced to two phases. If the NDA government is re-formed, the next elections will be held in a single phase,” Amit Shah said at an election rally in Nalanda.

Speaking at a rally in Munger, he said that this land has a historical connection with Lord Ram. Slashing the opposition over the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, he said, “We have also decided to associate Munger with the Ramayana Period… Ram Lalla lived in a tent in Ayodhya for 500 years. Congress, SP, BSP, Mamata Banerjee and Lalu Yadav opposed the construction of the temple. But since Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister in 2019, not only Bhumi Pujan (of Ram Mandir) but also He also conducted the Pran Prathishtha ceremony. Also, the construction of Goddess Sita’s temple in Sithamarhi is also ongoing. Kastaharni Ghat and Mata Sita Charan Temple will also be developed,” he said. “Near Khagaria, where our Yatra (Rath Yatra launched by the BJP for the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya in 1990) was halted in Samastipur, the BJP will set up a temple of Lord Ram and Goddess Sita… We are also planning to set up an airport in Munger… Lalu and Rabri governments have done nothing but encourage corruption,” he added.

However, his staunch attack also awaits a backlash from the Opposition as Congress leader and AICC Senior Election Observer, Ashok Gehlot alleged that the BJP leader is using the festival for electoral gains ahead of the Assembly Elections. Speaking to ANI, Gehlot accused the BJP-JD(U)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar of “misleading” the people, saying their “jumlas” (false promises) will not work. “Their ‘jumla’ will not work. If Amit Shah ji prays to Chhathi Maiya, it is for election gains. They have come here for elections and are misleading people. The situation in Bihar is serious and youth are unemployed,” the Congress leader said.

Expressing confidence in Mahagathbandhan’s victory, Gehlot said the Opposition alliance will give the NDA a “good fight” in the upcoming elections. “Our campaign will continue to expand and we will give a good fight (to the NDA). They (NDA) are winning elections by polarizing on the basis of religion and caste. Now it is Mahagathbandhan’s turn to come to power in Bihar,” he said. After Amit Shah slammed Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for his ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ saying it was done to “protect infiltrators”, Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh hit back saying the party did not stop the removal of infiltrators. He said: “When did the Congress stop the removal of infiltrators? But the issue of infiltrators comes up only during elections. Now the same issue will be taken up in West Bengal and later in Assam. If you remove infiltrators, we have never ruled it out. It can’t be the use of infiltrators only in election speeches, right?”

Amit Shah had criticized Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and assured the people that the NDA government in Bihar would eliminate those infiltrating the state. “Recently, Rahul Baba came to protect the spies. Tell me, should the names of the spies be removed from the voter list or not? Re-form the NDA government. I promise you, we will eliminate every single spy in Bihar,” Shah said. Amit Shah’s rallies took place ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, which will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11. Survey results will be announced on November 14.

The main contest is between Nitish Kumar-led NDA and RJD-led opposition alliance Mahagathbandhan. The NDA includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM). The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-led Mahagathbandhan includes the Congress, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI-ML), Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) and Mukesh Sahani’s Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP).

(Except for the title, this news has not been edited by the DNA team and is published from ANI news agency).