In jibe at Rahul Modi says Pak eager to see 'shehzada' as PM flays 'vote jihad' comments

Anand/Surendranagar/Junagadh/Jamnagar, May 2 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday targeted Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, saying Pakistan was eager to make the 'shehzada' of the grand old party India's next PM as the country's enemies want a weak government at the helm.
During a whirlwind campaign tour of Gujarat, Modi addressed four poll rallies in support of BJP candidates and in his speeches alleged the Congress wants to change the Constitution to give reservation to Muslims and challenged the opposition party to give in writing they will not grant religion-based quota in government jobs and education.
He slammed the Congress for not condemning the "vote jihad" comments made by a candidate of the Samajwadi Party (SP), an ally of the grand old party in Uttar Pradesh.
Modi addressed rallies in Anand, Surendranagar, Junagadh and Jamnagar a day after speaking at two election gatherings in Banaskantha and Sabarkantha districts of Gujarat, where voting will take place on May 7.
The BJP's star campaigner alleged the Congress is fighting the 2024 elections on twin strategies of creating a division in society on caste lines and uniting its vote-bank through appeasement politics.
Modi's comments linking the Congress with Pakistan came a day after Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, a former minister in Imran Khan's cabinet, reportedly shared a video featuring Rahul Gandhi on his social media handle and praised him.
"Pakistan is crying because the Congress is dying here. You all must have learnt that Pakistani leaders are now praying for the Congress. Pakistan is eager to make 'shehzada' or prince (referring to Rahul Gandhi) the next PM. This is not surprising because we already know that the Congress is Pakistan's 'murid' (follower)," he remarked.
"The partnership between Pakistan and the Congress has now been exposed completely. It shows the country's enemies want a weak government in India, not a strong one...a weak government which was there at the time of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. They want a corrupt government which was there before 2014. But Modi's strong government neither bows down nor does it stop," the BJP stalwart asserted.
Unlike under the Congress rule, the "tyres of Pakistan's terror have got punctured" now (under BJP-led government), he said, attacking the neighbouring country and highlighting its economic woes.
"A country which used to export terror in the past, is now struggling to import 'atta' (flour). The hands which used to hold bombs are now holding 'bheekh ka katora' (begging bowl)," he said.
The BJP leader claimed the Congress wants to give reservation to Muslims if it comes back to power.
"The Congress wants to give reservation to Muslims, the party's favourite vote-bank. For that, they want to change the Constitution. I challenge the Congress to give in writing that they will not change the Constitution to give reservation to Muslims on religious basis," Modi emphasised.
The PM asked the Congress and its INDIA bloc allies to give in writing that they won't grant reservation to Muslims "through the backdoor by reducing OBC quota" in states where they are in power.
"I am challenging the 'shehzada' (referring to Rahul Gandhi) to give this guarantee. There is no sense in taking a copy of the Constitution on the head and dancing (the Congress MP is seen holding a copy of statute book during rallies). If you want to learn how to live for the Constitution and die for it, then come to Modi," the PM added.
Modi took a dig at the Congress over its leader Salman Khurshid's niece Maria Alam's call for 'vote jihad'. Alam, an SP leader, called for a "vote jihad" in favour of the INDIA bloc candidate from the Farrukhabad Lok Sabha seat of Uttar Pradesh.
"Now, the INDI alliance calls for vote jihad. This is new, because we have so far heard about 'love jihad' and 'land jihad'. This is said by a person who belonged to an educated Muslim family, not someone who studied in madrasa (Islamic seminary). I hope you all know the meaning of jihad and against whom jihad is waged. This is an insult to democracy and not a single Congress leader has condemned it," he said.
The PM noted such statements prove intentions of the INDIA bloc were "dangerous".
Attacking the Congress over its president Mallikarjun Kharge's recent remark on Lord Ram and Lord Shiva, Modi said the opposition party was trying to create divisions among Hindus due to its appeasement politics.
"Now, the Congress is trying to create divisions among Hindus. Congress president Kharge has made a very dangerous statement about Lord Ram and Lord Shiva. This statement has been made with mala fide intentions," he alleged.
"They are creating differences among Lord Ram and Lord Shiva devotees so they fight with each other. Even Mughals could not break our thousands of years of traditions. How much low the Congress will go for appeasement?" Modi asked.
The PM underscored that the ongoing Lok Sabha elections were not for satisfying his personal ambitions, but for fulfilling his "mission."
"These elections are not for my ambition as people fulfilled that ambition in 2014 (when he became PM). The 2024 elections are for Modi's mission," he said.
Voting for 25 of the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat, where the BJP candidate from Surat has been elected unopposed, will take place in the third phase.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)