Jharkhand: Addressing a public rally in Palamu, Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused Congress of attempting to reserve a percentage of seats for Muslims at the expense of Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Dalits, and tribal communities. Shah declared, “Congress talks about reservation, but in our constitution, there is no such provision to give reservation on the basis of religion.” Shah claimed that Congress intends to provide 10% reservation to Muslims, potentially reducing the existing quotas for other disadvantaged groups.

He went on to challenge Congress’s intent, warning, “I would like to warn Rahul Gandhi that till the time BJP is present in this country, minorities won’t get reservations. Reservation to OBCs, Dalits, and tribal is given by Baba Saheb Ambedkar, and you can’t disrespect it.”

Congress Labelled 'Anti-OBC'

Further, Shah labelled Congress as “anti-OBC,” accusing the party of historical neglect towards the OBC community, referencing their failures to implement the Kaka Kalelkar Committee and Mandal Commission reports. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for supporting the OBC community by securing 27% reservation for them in central institutions and establishing the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC), which he elevated to a constitutional body.

Criticism of Jharkhand Government

Shah also criticised Jharkhand’s ruling coalition of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Congress, and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), calling it "the most corrupt government in the country." He alleged large-scale corruption under their leadership, claiming, “More than Rs 300 crore were seized from the house of a Congress MP… and even Rs 30 crore were seized from the house of Alamgir Alam’s PA. This money is yours, it belongs to the youth and poor of Jharkhand.”

Shah urged voters to support the BJP in the upcoming state assembly elections to ensure accountability, promising to jail corrupt leaders if the BJP came to power.

The 81-seat Jharkhand Assembly is set to hold elections in two phases on November 13 and 20, with vote counting scheduled for November 23.