Modi reading from 2014 script, misleading people over quota for Muslims: Supriya Shrinate

Congress leader Supriya Shrinate on Sunday, 5 May claimed PM Narendra Modi was reading from his 2019 script for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and also accused him of misleading people over quotas for Muslims.

The BJP has been saying the Congress wanted to snatch quotas of SCs, STs and OBCs and give them to Muslims as part of its appeasement politics.

Shrinate, the head of the Congress' social media and digital platforms, claimed PM Modi, in an interview in 2022, had said BJP governments in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh have already given reservation to Muslims as OBCs.

"After serving as India's prime minister for 10 years, we thought he would now face the people and present his report card and seek votes on his government's achievements. Instead, he is reading the same poll script of 2014 in 2024. He is not talking about anything except Congress and its leaders. So what was our PM doing these ten years?" she questioned.

She claimed the 2024 polls will be a repeat of 2004 when BJP's 'India Shining' campaign failed and the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government was voted out of power.

"Modi is spreading lies about reservations being given to Muslims in Congress-ruled Karnataka. This reservation was given by H D Deve Gowda when he was chief minister based on a survey conducted in 1974. And today, Deve Gowda's party JD(S) is BJP's ally. The Congress government has not implemented it. This reservation has been there for the last three decades," she said.

On the rape and other allegations against JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna, Shrinate claimed Modi sought votes for him in Mysuru despite being aware about the issue.

"Modi sought votes for Revanna, who is no less than a monster. Was he not aware of his misdeeds? Modi knew everything because local BJP leaders had already warned the top BJP leadership about Revanna," she alleged.

Instead of speaking about Muslims, the PM should speak about the other three 'M's, namely mahila (women), mehengai (price rise) and Manipur violence, the Congress leader said.

"My leader (Rahul Gandhi) went to Manipur twice and tried to bring peace. But Modiji did not get time yet to visit Manipur, where violence is still taking place," she said.

People are silent but they are voting against the BJP since they know it will change the Constitution and end reservations after getting 400 Lok Sabha seats, Shrinate claimed.

Modi is trying to divert attention by speaking about Muslims, Pakistan and Muslim League during rallies, but the Congress will ensure the polls are fought on issues concerning people, such as unemployment, inflation, corruption, wealth inequality and partnership based on the population.

Accusing Modi of spending Rs 6,500 crore for building his own image, Shrinate said the poor had become poorer while the wealthy have flourished in the last 10 years.

It does not suit BJP to talk about Hindu dharma or cows because the party has taken money from beef exporters through the electoral bonds scheme, she alleged.