PM corners Congress over Somnath Temple, OROP, OBC

Surat (Gujarat) [India], Nov 29 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a veiled attack at the Congress Party, saying if he remained in power, it would be bad news for those who have looted the nation for 70 long years.

The prime minister also targetted the Congress Party over various issues including the OROP, the OBC community and the Somnath Temple visit.

Addressing a rally in Prachi of Gujarat's Junagadh district, the prime minister hit out at Congress over its treatment of Sardar Patel, who helped built the Somnath Temple.

"Had Sardar Patel not been there, there would not have been this grand temple in Somnath. So there a people who visited the Somnath Temple recently [Rahul Gandhi and Congress], I want to ask them: Do you know history? Your family members, our first prime minister Jawahar Lal Nehru was not happy with the idea of a temple being built there," he said.

"When Dr Rajendra Prasad was to come to inaugurate the Somnath Temple, Pandit Nehru expressed his displeasure on that," the prime minister added.

The prime minister further targetted Congress for seeking votes of the OBC communities, while stalling the OBC Commission.

"Congress is seeking votes of the OBC communities but they should answer why they did not allow the OBC Commission to get a Constitutional status for all these years. We brought in the move, it was passed by the Lok Sabha but stalled in the Rajya Sabha, where Congress has majority," he added.

Stating that Congress destroyed Gujarat through its caste politics, the prime minister said, "Those who ruled India for 70 years are now asking for my report card. When your family was ruling, there was an SC/ST commission."

The prime minister also assured support to the OBC community and that they would be given their due.

"I want to assure you - Congress may try to throw many roadblocks, I am committed to ensure their designs fail. The Parliament is meeting soon and we are going to bring that issue on the floor of the House again. We want to give our OBC communities their due," he assured.

Prime Minister Modi went on to slam Congress saying that the party put the One Rank One Pension (OROP) issue on the backburner for 40 years.

"I want to ask the Congress Party. What is it that you have against our army? The demand for OROP was pending for 40 long years. Why did successive Congress governments do nothing about that?" he said.

"Congress leaders are masters in gossiping. They just duped our soldiers. Congress had no idea of the intricacies of the OROP issue. When elections were approaching, they announced a meager Rs 500 crore for OROP whereas the real requirement was a lot higher. Had they done some research, they would have realised that Rs 500 crore was nothing," he said.

The prime minister further said that Congress had no connect with the common man and lacked policy and leadership.

"Congress has no neeti (policy) or neta (Leader). It does not have any connection with the common man. How can these people create India's destiny?" he asked. (ANI)