Congress encouraging Naxalism in Chhattisgarh: Amit Shah

Shah claimed that the Congress has turned the state into its ATM and said that if the Congress comes back to power, the money sent from the Centre for the state’s development will be “diverted to Delhi through the ‘ATM’ of Congress”

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday accused the Congress of encouraging Maoists and claimed that the incidents of Maoist violence decreased by 52% in the nine-year rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.

Union homes minister Amit Shah addressed a rally in Jagdalpur in poll-bound Chhattisgarh (Twitter Photo)

“In nine years of the (PM) Modi-led government, incidents of (Maoist) violence declined by 52%, deaths (in Naxal violence) came down by 70%, civilian deaths decreased by 68%, while the (number of) Naxal-affected districts declined by 62%,” Shah said.

Addressing a rally in Jagdalpur in poll-bound Chhattisgarh, he appealed to the people to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming state elections.

Polling for the 90 assembly seats in Chhattisgarh is scheduled to be held in two phases on November 7 and 17, and votes will be counted on December 3.

Alleging that Congress rule in the state was a “government of scams”, the home minister said, “...I have come to urge you to elect the BJP once again in the state, we will hang upside down those who have embezzled the money of tribals by committing scams,”

Shah claimed that the Congress has turned the state into its ATM and said that if the Congress comes back to power, the money sent from the Centre for the state’s development will be “diverted to Delhi through the ‘ATM’ of Congress”.

He said that in the nine years of PM Modi’s rule is taking the country forward on the path of progress. “..Modi ji has done a lot of work in the interest of tribals across the country. Apart from protecting their Jal (water), jungle, and zameen (land), the Modi government has worked to provide security, respect and inclusive development to tribals,” Shah said.

Urging people to vote for the BJP, Shah said, “There are two options in front of you, one is the Congress – which encourages Naxalism – and on the other hand, there is the BJP which eliminates Naxalism. The Congress sent crores of rupees of corruption to Delhi Darbar, while the BJP is providing gas cylinders, toilets, drinking water, health facilities, grains and houses to crores of poor people.”

“I have heard of many scams, but I have not heard of such a person who would do a scam of ₹1,300 crore in cow dung (procurement scheme),” he added.

Further accusing the Congress government of lying over the Nagarnar Steel Plant, recently inaugurated by PM Modi, Shah said the Congress is planning to privatise the plant (of NMDC).

“Today I am saying that it will not be privatised. My tribal brothers and sisters have the right over this plant and Modi ji has already made it very clear,” he said.

Reacting to Shah’s statement, Congress spokesperson Shushil Anand Shukla said that he is spreading lies in Chhattisgarh.

“We all know that incidents of Maoism have decreased due to policies of the state (Congress) government. Shah has nothing to offer and he is only misleading the people,” said Shukla.

The BJP rally was held in Jagdalpur, the headquarters of Bastar district, ahead of the filing of nominations of BJP candidates in three constituencies of Bastar.

Twelve assembly seats of Bastar region are among the 20 constituencies in Chhattisgarh where voting will be held in the first phase. The remaining 70 constituencies will go to polls in the second phase.