While addressing a gathering of prominent citizens in Ahmedabad, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley attacked the Congress, with throbbing one remark after the other especially regarding the Congress’s promise to the PAAS.
The Congress in Gujarat in order to gain the support of the Patidars had made a few suggestions to the community demanding reservation in government jobs and education under the OBC quota. Congress leader Kapil Sibal a few days back had come up with a few options for the Patidars that would fulfill their demands also and not even disturb the 50% reservation cap set up the Indian constitution of India.
The Patidars also seemed content with the options and were agreeing to extend their support to the Congress in the upcoming Gujarat assembly elections.
Reacting to the options offered by the Congress and the promise that the party has made to the Patidars that if chosen to power they would grant reservation to the community, Arun Jaitley only called it a deception. He said that “The Congress’s promise to grant reservation to the Patidar community is nothing but “deception” for votes in the Gujarat polls as the Supreme Court has put a 50 percent cap on quota in education and jobs.”
In his statement to during the gathering, Jaitley pointed out the provision given in the constitutions regarding the reservations. He underlined that “The Supreme Court’s judgments regarding reservations are very clear. A 50 percent limit is set by the apex court, and to breach the limit of 50 percent is to deceive yourself or others.”
During the address Jaitley was also questioned about his views regarding the options provided by Congress leader Kapil Sibal to Hardik Patel led Patidars for giving reservation over and above the cap of 50 percent as the party does not want to disturb the existing quotas for scheduled tribes, scheduled castes and other backward classes (which add up to 50 percent in Gujarat).
The Finance Minister replied that “A few days ago, in a Rajasthan case, the Supreme Court said you may make whatever law you want to make but you cannot breach the 50 percent limit (for quotas)…So, we believe, if anybody is talking about giving reservation above 50 percent, then that is like deceiving the people by making a false promise to gain votes in the elections.”
Attacking the opposition party, Jaitley accused that since the Congress failed to play on the card of anti-development, it took up social divide as its next weapon to gain votes in Gujarat. Taking a jibe at the Congress campaign that went viral on the social media with the slogan ‘Vikas gando thayo chee’ he said that Congress was the first political party who was campaigning against the development.
When canvassing for this election started, the Congress strategy and campaign was anti-development. We have not seen such a campaign in the world where a political party has fought elections by claiming itself to be anti-development,” Jaitley said
Highlighting the principles of BJP of development and stability, the Finance Minister mocked said that it seems like when Congress failed on the anti-development campaign, it came up with the strategy to socially divide Gujarat on the basis of caste equations and win the polls. “Now, I feel they have changed their strategy. They now want to win elections by creating a social divide…The BJP is a symbol of development and stability, while the forces that the Congress is attracting towards itself, will only lead to anarchy in the society,” he said.
Arun Jaitley pulled down on Congress saying that the party is engaging in negative politics and the will get a befitting reply in the polls when the voters will reject them.
Boasting about BJP who has been ruling the poll-bound state for 22 years said that other states took Gujarat as a role model for choosing a government that believed and worked for development rather than wok=rking on the basis of caste politics. “2017 is a landmark election for the state which has gone through different kinds of politics,” he said.
Addressing the gathering he also pleaded to the entire state should vote for BJP in full majority and prove to the nation that no one should think of anything other than development for the next 50 years. He further added that “On the other side is an irresponsible group, an experiment which is dangerous for the state because it has no stake.”
Alos taking a dig at the incident between PAAS and Congress, soon after the later released its first list of candidate, Jaitley said that the violence was a reflection of complete anarchy. He commented that “It is unfortunate that a national party has become the nucleus for such anarchic parties.”
The PAAS and Congress entered into clashes only hours after the two had agreed on the options given by Congress. The PAAS members were unhappy with the Congress as the party had not given enough tickets to PAAS candidates.
A national party is supposed to be the stabilizing factor.” “You are breaking and fighting even before the elections have begun. This is a textbook example of anarchy,” he said.
Talking about the goals of BJP regarding the assembly elections the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the only focus for the party currently will be to retain its stable government in the state. He also added that under the BJP government in Gujarat for the last 22 years the state has witnessed only development and so will it continue to see.
Gujarat is an entrepreneurial state and a state like this always finds its way to success. Gujarat has gained from its politics. Highways developed, roads developed, the port economy grew, Agriculture growth reached double-digit and Urbanisation increased,” Arun Jaitley said.
Concluding his address, he said that BJP has prepared the manifesto for Gujarat and the party will soon announce the date to release it.