Hingoli (Maharashtra): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday launched a scathing attack on Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, challenging him to praise Veer Savarkar and Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray.
"Aghadi is an army of liars. Rahul Baba, please praise your friend Uddhav Thackeray's father, the great Balasaheb Thackeray, for two minutes. Uddhav ji, if you have the courage, get Rahul Baba to speak two good words about Veer Savarkar and Balasaheb," Shah said while addressing a rally in Hingoli.
The Union Home Minister said the assembly polls in Maharashtra would determine whether the state follows the legacy of Shivaji Maharaj or the path of Aurangzeb for the next five years.
"The upcoming election will decide whether Maharashtra follows the path of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Veer Savarkar or the path of Aurangzeb. Our Mahayuti alliance has chosen the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Veer Savarkar without any hesitation, while the Aghadi alliance seems to be an Aurangzeb fan club. Modi ji built the Ram temple and also reconstructed the Kashi Vishwanath corridor, which had been demolished by Aurangzeb," Shah said.
Amit Shah also mocked Rahul Gandhi, likening him to a plane that has repeatedly crashed.
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"Sonia ji has tried to land the plane named Rahul Baba 20 times, and 20 times it has crashed. Now, another attempt is being made to land it for the 21st time in Maharashtra. Sonia ji, please note that your Rahul aircraft will crash once again in the Maharashtra assembly elections," he quipped.
Referring to the recently concluded Haryana elections, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a third consecutive term, Shah criticised the Congress for its overconfidence in winning Maharashtra.
"In the Haryana elections, Rahul Gandhi claimed victory prematurely. Such arrogance, especially in a democracy, is unacceptable. Ultimately, Congress was wiped out, and the BJP formed the government. In Maharashtra too, the Mahayuti will form the government," Shah asserted.
Touching upon the Ram temple issue and the Waqf Board controversy, Shah said, "For 70 years, Congress obstructed the construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya, but Modi ji made it a reality. In Karnataka, the Waqf Board declared villages, temples, farmers' lands, and people's houses as Waqf properties. We have introduced a bill to amend the Waqf Act, but Sharad Pawar and his allies are opposing it."
"You can oppose it as much as you want, but the Modi government will amend the Waqf Act with full force," he added.
Shah also dismissed Congress's resolution to reinstate Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, asserting it would never happen.
"Rahul Baba's Congress party has passed a resolution in Kashmir to bring back Article 370. Rahul Baba, listen carefully--neither you nor your fourth generation will be able to bring back Article 370," Shah said.
Exuding confidence in the NDA's prospects, Shah said the people of Maharashtra support the alliance.
"I have come to tell the people of Maharashtra that the entire country stands with Modiji. Every sister in Maharashtra is with Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis, and every underprivileged citizen supports the NDA. In the coming days, a Mahayuti government will be formed in Maharashtra. This government, led by Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis, is dedicated to serving the poor," Shah said.
Maharashtra will go to the polls on November 20, with the votes to be counted on November 23.
—ANI