Shah asks Rahul what Congress did for Adivasis during its rule

Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday targetted the Congress party over the issue of Adivasis' welfare and asked its former president Rahul Gandhi what his party did for the community during their 70-year rule in the country.

"Earlier, tribals were not even given a single penny in lieu of the mineral wealth emanating from their area. I want to ask Rahul Gandhi that his four generations ruled the nation for 70 years, what you did for the Adivasis?" Shah asked, while addressing an election rally here in Aheri.

Talking about the initiatives taken by his government for tribals, Shah said that the BJP government has given a total of Rs 531 crore for the development of these areas.

He also asserted that while the BJP government has given constitutional recognition to the Other Backward Communities' (OBCs) commission, it also decided to build a separate martyr memorial for tribal freedom fighters, but the Congress governments did nothing to honour the tribal heroes.

As Gadchiroli is a Maoist-affected district in eastern Maharashtra, Shah highlighted the efforts taken up by the Centre government to curb the menace of Naxalism in the area. "Naxals were opposed to development but it was the Modi government which curbed the menace over the last five years," he said.

Shah further slammed the Congress and Nationalist Party chief Sharad Pawar for their stand over the abrogation of Article 370 and said now these parties have to decide who do they want to side with -- the people who removed Article 370 or with the people who want to continue with this Article.

He alleged the Congress and the NCP hesitated in removing the special status to Jammu and Kashmir due to "vote bank politics".

"Our government revoked Article 370. The Congress and the NCP said what does Maharashtra has to do with it. Maharashtra is the land of Shivaji Maharaj and Veer Savarkar. Brave jawans of this state have never looked back in serving the nation and securing its borders," Shah.

Comparing the 50 years' report card of Congress and NCP with that of the BJP, Shah said that his party is at the top.

The single-phase Assembly poll in Maharashtra is scheduled to be held on October 21. The results will be announced on October 24.