Curated By: Shobhit Gupta
Last Updated: November 15, 2024, 13:11 IST
Assembly Elections LIVE: Amid high-decibel campaigning for the assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday reached Bihar’s Jamui to mark tribal icon Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary. Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was in Jharkhand for a poll rally.
Modi, who unveiled projects worth Rs 6,640 crore in Jamui, said the tribal community faced neglect at the hands of previous governments and their part in the freedom struggle was erased. He said only the BJP-led central government has worked for the tribals by establishing a welfare department and increasing its budget allocation. He added that it was his government that gave India its first tribal President in Droupadi Murmu.
“Previous governments never worked for betterment of tribal people. Decades after independence, efforts were made to erase this invaluable contribution of tribal history. There was selfish politics behind this too. Politics is that only one party should be given credit for India’s independence. But if only one party, only one family brought independence, then why did Birsa Munda’s Ulgulan Movement happen? What was the Santhal revolution? What was the Kol revolution?” he asked, adding that many tribal leaders played a crucial role in the freedom struggle.
Gandhi, meanwhile, attacked the BJP in Jharkhand saying it was trying to “destroy” the Constitution and the country is now facing a battle of ideologies. “We are protecting the Constitution, the BJP is trying to dump it in the trash,” he said. “We are facing a battle of ideology. The people of the Congress and the INDIA bloc are working to save the Constitution. Whereas the BJP-RSS are trying to destroy Ambedkar ji’s Constitution.”
Voting for the 288-member Maharashtra legislative assembly will be held in a single phase on November 20. Jharkhand concluded its first phase of polling in 43 constituencies on November 13. The second phase is scheduled for November 20 in the remaining 38 constituencies. The counting of votes will take place on November 23.