Union Home Minister Amit Shah attended the Bharatiya Janata Party's Other Backward Classes (OBC) Morcha or OBC Wing's national two-day working committee meeting in Jodhpur in the Congress-ruled Rajasthan on Saturday.
Addressing BJP booth level workers in the meeting, Shah targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his ongoing 'Bharat Jodo Yatra,' saying he needs to study the country's history first.
"Rahul Gandhi has gone to connect Bharat, but I think that he needs to study Indian history," Shah said.
Referring to a Parliament speech of the Congress leader, Shah said he has gone out on 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' wearing a foreign brand T-shirt and a jersey.
"I want to remind Rahul baba and Congressmen about his speech given in Parliament. Rahul Baba had said India is not a nation at all. Rahul Baba, in which book have you read this? This is the nation for which lakhs and lakhs of people have sacrificed their lives."Amit Shah, Union Home Minister
Shah claimed the Congress cannot work for development. "It can only work for appeasement and vote bank politics."
Jodhpur is Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's home turf. One of the aims of the meeting is to strengthen the BJP's OBC vote bank in Rajasthan before the state elections scheduled for 2023. Of the 200 Assembly constituencies in the state, 33 are in Jodhpur.
Over 1,500 party workers, wearing saffron turbans and riding motorcycles, escorted Shah to the venue of the meeting from the Jodhpur airport. Shah had arrived Jaisalmer on Friday evening.
On Saturday morning, Shah tweeted, "I will participate in various programs in Virbhoomi of Rajasthan. First, I will pay respects to the heroes at the victory pillar in Jaisalmer and then worship Tanot Mata. Then in Jodhpur, I will address the National Working Committee and Booth President General Conference of BJP OBC Front."
Union Home Minister Amit Shah at Jaisalmer.
(Photo: PTI)
Shah reached Tanot on Saturday morning by helicopter and laid a floral wreath at the Vijay Stambh.
The Tanot Mata temple, located close to the India-Pakistan border, is managed by the Border Security Force (BSF). It is at a distance of 120 km from Jaisalmer.
Facilities for tourists will be developed on the temple premises under a project funded by the Centre to promote border tourism.
National President of the BJP OBC Morcha K Laxman, Union Labour Minister Bhupender Yadav, and state BJP unit President Satish Poonia had inaugurated the two-day working committee meeting on Friday morning.
Known locally as Marwar, Jodhpur is the biggest division of Rajasthan and comprises six districts – Jodhpur, Barmer, Jaisalmer, Jalore, Sirohi, and Pali.
"OBC is a vast community. It is with the BJP ideology. This is the first time in the BJP regime that we have 27 ministers from this community. Also the OBC commission has been given constitutional recognition by the Narendra Modi government," Poonia said.
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