Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Sunday welcomed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s support for demonetisation, a move undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to root out black money and corruption.
Addressing an OBC rally in Bengaluru on Sunday he welcomed the decision of Nitish Kumar who took a principal stand in supporting Modi. He said, “I whole heartedly welcome Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s support for PM Narendra Modi’s fight against black money and corruption”.
This comes against the backdrop of reports alleging that Shah personally met Kumar at his residence. The reports were promptly rubbished by Kumar, saying those with “perverted mindset” were spreading such “canards”. The JD(U) leader, however, has urged the Government to check the hardships being faced by the masses across the country due to the move.
The JD(U) had also pulled out the November 28 all-India protest called by the Opposition parties to protest the demonetisation move, which has left many in the lurch and utter State of confusion.
With the Opposition turning on the heat on the Modi-led Government over its decision to demonetise higher currency notes, Shah hit back at their detractors saying, “Saara vipaksh Congress, BSP, SP, Mamata, Kejriwal, Modi ji se puchte the kale dhan pe aapne kya kiyaIJ Ab puch rahe hain ye kyu kiya (the entire Opposition used to ask Modi ji what steps have you taken to get rid of black money, now they are asking why did you take the step of demonetisationIJ).”
He said that Opposition parties that often behave like a snake and mongoose have united against ‘Notebandi’ because of their vested interests.
“Is there black money with the poorIJ The only people who have been affected by the move are those who have lost black money. Opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal have lost sleep because of the Governments’ move,” he added.
Amit Shah also blasted Congress Government in Karnataka led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as most corrupt Government in the country. He also declared Yeddyurappa would lead the next BJP Government in Karnataka.
As Karnataka is crucial for BJP, the Other Backward Classes (OBC) rally on Sunday ahead of 2018 Assembly polls is a clear indication of BJP’s strategy to woo OBCs apart from SCs and STs to its vote bank.
After he took over as the State president, Yeddyurappa has been touring different parts of the State to strengthen the party base ahead of the 2018 Assembly elections. Sunday’s rally is seen as an attempt to woo OBC voters, who had backed Siddaramaiah in the 2013 elections. The rally was also aimed to quell dissent within the party. With its SC/ST rally earlier in October, this was the second event aimed at garnering support of backward classes. This is seen as a masterstroke by lingayat strongman Yeddyurappa to counter a brewing rebellion within the party to checkmate KS Eshwarappa who has started Sangolli Rayanna Brigade, of OBC’s which had given B S Yeddyurappa jitters.
Amit Shah inaugurated the ‘Ekata rally’ by beating drums a strategy ahead of Assembly polls to make Congress Mukth Karnataka. The rally saw prominent faces from backward classes including leaders like KS Eshwarappa and Sriramulu in attendance apart from Union Ministers Sadananda Gowda, Anath Kumar and Nirmala Seetharaman. While the saffron party claimed that the rally was aimed at exposing Congress' double standards on backward class upliftment and to highlight failed promises by the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who is playing the backward classes politics to the hilt. This is also to negate the impression on BJP being an anti-dalit party among voters.