'Nehru, Gandhis never backed quota': Top quotes from PM Modi's rally in Maharashtra's Nashik

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a multipronged attack on the Congress and the Maha Vikas Aghadi on Friday as he kicked off his first campaign trail in Maharashtra to drum up support for his alliance ahead of the polls.

The Prime Minister sought to turn the tables on several accusations the opposition has leveled against the BJP, ranging from Constitution, reservations, and both "unfulfilled" and "fulfilled" poll promises.

Addressing a rally in Maharashtra's Nashik, PM Modi accused the Congress of aiming to end reservations for political gains. "Nehru, Indira, and Rajiv never backed reservations," he said. PM Modi highlighted his own rise as an example, noting that he rose to the top despite being from the OBC community. "A person from the OBC community has become the Prime Minister of the country for the third time, and the Congress can't come to terms with this reality. Congress has lost its sleep," he said.

"They are venting their anger on the OBC," he added.

The Prime Minister also raked up the issue of Constitution copies allegedly being distributed with blank pages at Congress rallies, saying, "Congress doesn't care about the Constitution, courts, or public sentiment; they carry the Constitution book in their pockets just for show."

Further, PM Modi hit out at the Congress for failing to deliver on poll promises in Karnataka, Telangana, and Himachal Pradesh, where the party is in power at the state level. Highlighting his government’s achievement of lifting more than 25 crore people out of poverty, he added that forming a Mahayuti government in Maharashtra "once again is a must." He also claimed the MVA alliance opposed the "Ladki Bahin" scheme championed by the Mahayuti government for women's upliftment.

Criticising the Congress for playing a junior role in the MVA alliance, PM Modi called the "grand old party" parasitic and dependent on other parties to survive.

"The whole country has completely rejected Congress due to its actions. Congress is no longer the All India Congress; it has become a parasitic Congress. This party now survives only on crutches. Whether in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, or Jharkhand, Congress can only contest elections with the support of other parties," he said.

Here are some top quotes from PM Modi's speech:

• The pace of development is double in a double-engine government. Moreover, the benefits of schemes also get doubled. The farmers of Maharashtra are experiencing this today.
• On one hand, the farmers here are receiving the benefits of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi and along with that, they are getting the benefits of Namo Kshetriya Maha Samman Nidhi. This means, a financial assistance of Rs 12,000 annually. I want to tell my farmer brothers... when our govt will be formed again in Maharashtra, this financial aid of Rs 12,000 will be enhanced to Rs 15,000.
• When the poor progresses, the country progresses. For so many decades, Congress and allies kept giving the slogan of 'Gareebi Hatao', but the poor remained in need of food, clothing and shelter. But within the last 10 years, 25 crore people have come out of poverty. How did this happen? This happened because Modi's intent is right, he works as a servant of the poor
• I have got the opportunity to visit the holy land of Nashik. My fasting ritual ahead of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony also began here in Nashik. I got the opportunity to opportunity to clean and serve at the Kalaram Temple
• The people of Maharashtra are seeing the manifesto of 'Mahayuti' and the 'ghotala patra' of MVA.
• The whole country has completely rejected the Congress due to its actions. Congress is no longer the All India Congress. Congress has now become a parasitic Congress. This Congress party is now surviving only on crutches. Be it Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar or Jharkhand, in most states, Congress is in a position to contest elections only with the support of other parties.
• Congress wants to divide SCs, STs and OBCs. OBCs were never able to unite during the Congress rule. OBCs got reservation only when the Congress government was removed.
• During Nehru's time, Congress kept OBCs divided into different castes, then Indira Gandhi also had the same attitude and the same was the case with Rajiv Gandhi. These people never allowed OBCs to unite and as soon as OBCs united in the 90s and became powerful, the Congress stopped forming governments with full majority.
• Congress's clear opinion is that only when OBCs are weakened, the path to power will open for Congress, so Congress wants to create rifts among OBCs. Here in Nashik, there are so many OBC castes.. Congress wants all these castes to fight among themselves.
• Congress has entered the field to destroy you. It is most troubled by your unity and strength. That is why it wants OBCs to lose their unity and open the way to power for Congress