NEW DELHI: Hitting out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday claimed that Sonia Gandhi has attempted to promote Rahul Gandhi around 20 times, suggesting that her “Rahul plane” was on the brink of failure again with a possible 21st setback . Addressing an election rally in Jharkhand’s Giridih, Shah alleged that the waqf board in Karnataka has seized land belonging to ancient temples and promised a legal amendment to prevent this, even if it faces strong opposition.
“Sonia-ji is fond of launching her son. Sonia-ji tried to launch the ‘Rahul plane’ 20 times but it failed to land. It crashed 20 times. It is going to crash on the 21st time at the Deoghar airport,” he said.
Shah also accused the waqf board of grabbing farmlands.
“This waqf board is in the habit of grabbing land. In Karnataka, they have devouered assets of entire villages, 500 years old temples. They have grabbed farmlands. Tell me whether changes are required in the waqf boards or not. Hemant-babu and Rahul Gandhi oppose it, let them oppose it. BJP will pass a bill in Parliament for amendment to the Waqf Board Act and no one can stop it,” he said.
Shah accused the JMM-led coalition of using infiltrators as a “vote bank” and vowed to address illegal immigration if the BJP comes to power in Jharkhand. He promised to eradicate Naxalism and infiltration, pledging to deport “every infiltrator.”
Shah said that the JMM alliance had already lost ground in the initial election phase, claiming the BJP would secure victory in the state. Shah noted that while Jharkhand provides coal to power the nation, its people remain impoverished. He promised that, if elected, the BJP would make Jharkhand the most prosperous state within five years.
Shah also pledged to establish a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate alleged corruption by JMM leaders, with plans to hold them accountable and recover funds for the state treasury. He further promised to develop mineral-based industries in Jharkhand, creating job opportunities to reduce the need for migration.