'Congress and allies speak Pakistan's language': PM says Maharashtra fight between believers of Sambhaji Maharaj and Aurangzeb

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday accused Congress and its allies of plotting to reinstate Article 370 and create a separate Constitution for Kashmir. Ahead of Maharashtra polls, he asked, "Will Maharashtra support Congress and its allies who speak Pakistan’s language?" PM Modi framed the choice as one between "patriots who believe in Sambhaji Maharaj" and "those who praise Aurangzeb ," intensifying his criticism of Congress on national issues.

At a rally in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar , PM asserted that the grand old party had passed a resolution in favour of restoring Article 370, accusing the party of opposing the BJP 's efforts to integrate Kashmir by abolishing the article.

"When we made Kashmir free from Article 370, Congress opposed this in Parliament and court," he said. "Now they are again hatching a scheme to restore Article 370 and have a separate Constitution in Kashmir," He emphasised that all Indians want Kashmir governed solely by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution.

The Prime Minister also accused Congress of opposing caste-based reservations and of attempting to divide Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) by "splitting them into smaller castes."

"The Congress used to say that reservations were against the country. It considered reservations against merit. The mentality and agenda of the Congress remains unchanged. Therefore, they can't come to terms with the fact that someone from OBC has been the PM of the country for the last 10 years," he said.

PM credited the BJP-led Mahayuti government with fulfilling Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray’s long-standing demand to rename Aurangabad as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. He alleged that the Congress had tried to overturn the renaming in court, claiming that the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government lacked the “courage” to make the change due to Congress pressure.

PM concluded by noting the BJP’s efforts to obtain classical language status for Marathi and attract record foreign direct investment to Maharashtra, which he said has spurred the state’s economic progress. "BJP-Mahayuti ahe, tar gati ahe, Maharashtrachi pragati ahe" ("If there is Mahayuti, there is progress in Maharashtra"), he declared, pointing out the coalition's achievements in governance and cultural pride.