Amit Shah attacks Rahul in Haryana, says his poll guarantees came a cropper

CHANDIGARH, Sep 29: Union Home Minister Amit Shah hit out at the Congress in poll-bound Haryana on Sunday, alleging that Rahul Gandhi’s election guarantees have come a cropper in states, such as Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka, where the grand old party is in power.
Addressing a poll rally in Gurugram’s Badshahpur, Shah said the Congress makes tall promises at the time of elections.
But it does not fulfil those promises, he said, adding that Gandhi’s guarantees have “come a cropper” in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana.
The BJP does not make a promise that it cannot honour, Shah said.
“Rahul baba and company cannot undertake development” and it is the “double-engine” government that will ensure Haryana’s development, he said, referring to the BJP being in power both at the Centre and in the state.
“We will secure the country’s borders, we will protect reservations and never allow Article 370 (of the Constitution) to return,” he said.
He said he has sensed the “atmosphere” across Haryana and asserted that the BJP is set to score a “hat-trick” of poll victories in the state.
The Congress can neither secure the country nor make it developed, Shah said, targeting the opposition party over corruption, casteism, nepotism and appeasement.
He dubbed the Congress as “anti-poor”, “anti-Dalits”, “anti-youngsters” and “anti-farmers”.
Referring to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill at Badshahpur, he said, “You have a problem with the current legislation on the Waqf Board. We will amend it in the Winter Session of Parliament.”
Campaigning for the party candidates in the Gurugram region, including Rao Narbir Singh from Badshahpur, Shah said every 10th soldier in the Army comes from Haryana.
From former prime minister Indira Gandhi to Manmohan Singh, the Congress did not fulfil the demand of “One Rank, One Pension” and it was the Narendra Modi government that implemented it in 2015, the home minister said.
Lashing out at Gandhi over the Agnipath scheme for short-term military recruitment, Shah described the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha as a “lying machine” and alleged that he has claimed that Agniveers would not get jobs.
“Rahul baba, who are you trying to instigate? You did not implement OROP,” he said.
The Agnipath scheme has been introduced to ensure a youthful profile of the armed forces, Shah said.
With the Congress consistently targeting the BJP over the issue, Shah told the gatherings, “Do not hesitate to send your children to the Army. Haryana and the Centre will give pensionable jobs to every single Agniveer (those who are not absorbed in the force).” “After five years, you will not find even one Agniveer without a pensionable job,” he said,
With Navratri starting from October 3, Shah said, “On October 5, while casting your votes, you have to give an answer to Rahul baba and his party as to who insults Shakti (the goddess).”
He alleged that the Congress is “blinded by appeasement”.
8 rebels expelled by BJP
Former Haryana minister Ranjit Singh Chautala and seven other leaders were expelled by the BJP for six years on Sunday, after they decided to contest the October 5 state Assembly polls as independent candidates.
The Haryana BJP said its chief Mohan Lal Badoli has expelled these leaders for a period of six years with immediate effect.
Besides Chautala, Sandeep Garg (contesting the polls from Ladwa), Zile Ram Sharma (Assandh), Devender Kadian (Ganaur), Bachan Singh Arya (Safidon), Radha Ahlawat (Meham), Naveen Goel (Gurugram) and Kehar Singh Rawat (Hathin) have been expelled from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Chautala decided to quit the saffron party after he was denied the poll ticket from Rania, the seat he represented in the Assembly when he was an independent MLA.
Chautala quit the membership of the Assembly before joining the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls held earlier in the year.
He had unsuccessfully contested the parliamentary polls from Hisar. (PTI)