Gujarat has risen above caste politics, will vote for development, says Amit Shah

AHMEDABAD: Escalating his attack on the Congress party in the context of upcoming Gujarat elections, BJP chief Amit Shah on Tuesday said it has time and again insulted the people of Gujarat. Shah, who was speaking at 'Shikhar Sammelan' organised by ABP News, referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a son of Gujarat. "Narendra Bhai is a son of Gujarat and none can deny this fact. However, he didn't call anyone an outsider. It's the Nehru-Gandhi family that has insulted the state time and again," Shah said. Taking a jibe at Rahul Gandhi's frequent temple visits in Gujarat, Shah said it's good for him that he has started visiting temples. On BJP's agenda in the state, Shah said that Gujarat has risen above caste politics and people will vote for development. He said in next five years BJP is committed to taking Gujarat to the new heights. When asked about allegations against his son Jay Shah's company, the BJP chief said they were baseless. "I am in public life, there will be allegations. But they (Congress) cannot differentiate between turnover and profit, there's loss of Rs 1.5 crore. I wish they had learned how to assess balance sheets. We also went to court against the publication," he said. On the Rafale fighter aircraft agreement, Shah said it's a government-to-government deal and was done in a transparent manner. He also rebuked Congress vice president saying, "Rahul Gandhi thinks all the deals are like Bofors". Shah also mocked Congress for being able to declare a chief ministerial candidate in Gujarat. "They lack leadership and now trying to outsource it. The party should have at least announced one name," he said. Shah reiterated that Congress is fooling the Patidars by promising reservation. He said he still considers the community as the backbone of BJP. On Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani supporting Congress, Shah said, "Even among the Dalits, there is no resentment. Results in reserved seats will prove that". Commenting on the 'Padmavati' controversy, the 53-year-old leader said though he backs the freedom of speech but the sentiments of a community should also be kept in mind. "The BJP ruled states that have banned 'Padmavati' said that if historical facts were distorted, the movie won't be released. The movie has not been cleared by the Censor board yet. Let the CBFC do its work," he said. The polling for the two-phase elections for the 182 seats will be held on December 9 and December 14. The counting of votes will be done on December 18. In the state where the Congress is seeking to wrest power from the BJP after a hiatus over two decades, the saffron party is banking upon PM Narendra Modi's popularity to clinch its saffron fortress once again.