Himachal Pradesh Election 2022: Amit Shah slams Congress dynasty politics

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah used the "ma-beta" barb on the Congress in Himachal Pradesh and Delhi on Tuesday, questioning how those facing charges can provide a good government in the hill state.

He also said that the days of "raja-rani" are long gone in a democracy like India and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has instead focused on performance politics.

The home minister used a series of public meetings in Chamba, Karsog, and Kasumpti to launch an attack on the Congress, claiming that no one believed the party's 'guarantees.'

Shah will spend the night in Shimla as part of a two-day tour of poll-bound Himachal Pradesh. He is also scheduled to speak on Wednesday at polling places in the hill state.

Addressing a public rally in Chamba in support of Bhattiyat MLA Bikram Singh Jaryal, the BJP's candidate in the November 12 Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections, Shah urged voters to re-elect the saffron party to power in the state, breaking the state's tradition of not repeating a government.

Later, in support of outgoing minister Suresh Bhardwaj, he addressed another "Vijay Sankalp Rally" in Karsog and a third in Kasumpti, near Shimla.

Shah said that he had heard Congress leaders' speeches, and they had nothing to say other than relying on the hill state's tradition of alternative governments.

While addressing the people of Chamba, the home minister asks the crowd to change the state's tradition of alternate governments and replace it with the BJP. "By breaking this tradition, we will form a BJP government for the second time, and we will ensure a drug-free Himachal by putting an end to the narcotics trade in the state. Modiji (Prime Minister Narendra) pledged to make India drug-free at the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav," the home minister said. 

"I've heard the speeches of the Congress leaders, and all they talk about is the 'riwaz,' (tradition)," Shah continued. He came up with the new catchphrase "Ek bar BJP, bar bar BJP."

"But Rahul baba, upper Himachal and lower Himachal both belong to the BJP, and so does every nook and corner of the state," Shah added, accusing the Congress of attempting to create divisions between upper and lower Himachal.

Claiming that Congress was to blame for "scams" involving a total of Rs 12 lakh crore that occurred during the government's tenure at the Centre, the home minister said, "They are still not satisfied; they have now come to Himachal Pradesh. How can those facing charges provide good governance to the state?"

"The Raja-Rani era is over, and the country is democratic now. It's common people's time now. We must choose a government that works to advance the state," he continued. Shah noted that none of the statements made by the leaders of the Congress mention development. "It's a ma-beta party in Delhi and a ma-beta party here too, where youngsters have no place. Only the BJP is suitable for young people." His comments appeared to be a reference to the Congress leaders in Himachal Pradesh and Delhi, respectively, Pratibha Singh and her son Vikramaditya Singh, and Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.

"Where is the place for youth if ma and beta handle the party?" Shah questioned at the Karsog rally. He asserted that Modi had eradicated the nation's vices of casteism, appeasement, and nepotism.

Shah claimed that Congress continued Jawaharlal Nehru's mistake of Article 370 of the Constitution, which granted special status to the former state of Jammu and Kashmir, for 60 years, causing India's "crown" to suffer.

What the Congress could not achieve in 60 years, Modi accomplished in eight years; Shah told Kasumpti that the prime minister had elevated the country's pride to new heights. 

He claimed that the Congress did not reconstruct temples such as Kashi Vishwanath, the Ram temple, or the Badrinath Dham as of appeasement and vote-bank politics and that it did not restore the pristine glory of these shrines.

Shah also brushed aside the promises made by Congress in the election-year state, saying, "Who will believe your assurances... Those with credibility provide guarantees. We work without making promises in the BJP."

He emphasised Modi's development agenda and his affection for Himachal Pradesh, saying the prime minister had worked here for years and was familiar with every corner of the state.

"A double-engine government has its strength, and if anyone has benefited the most during the Modi government, it's the country's 80 crore poor people," Shah said, listing several central schemes.

He claimed that during the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime in the country, terrorists would behead Indian soldiers now and then, but Congress leaders would not say anything as they feared losing their vote bank.

"But it is now the Modi government, not Mauni Baba Manmohan Singh's," Shah said, referring to the surgical strikes inside Pakistan. He also brought up the repeal of Article 370 and the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, claiming that it was Modi who made these things possible.

"You will see a magnificent, sky-touching Ram temple after 2024, and you should book your tickets," Shah said, mentioning the Kashi Vishwanath corridor in Varanasi's construction.

"The Congress was attempting to insult our heritage, religious sites, and icons, but Modiji made these possible without worrying about the vote banks," Shah claimed.

The home minister paid tribute to the Himachal Pradesh jawans who gave their lives for the country, saying the state sends the most soldiers to the armed forces.

Himachal Pradesh will hold elections on November 12, and vote counting will begin on December 8. The BJP is seeking re-election in the state, the Congress is attempting to unseat the saffron party, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is making inroads.

(With inputs from PTI)

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