Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 10 : Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday criticised the Maha Vikas Aghadi's (MVA) manifesto and said there should be no doubt that a "double-engine government" will also be formed in Maharashtra.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) manifesto was launched on Sunday for the upcoming Assembly polls, which includes 25 key promises to the people of Maharashtra if the party is re-elected for another term.
While speaking to ANI, CM Dhami highlighted the BJP's track record of fulfilling commitments made to the public. He emphasised that the BJP's "Sankalp Patra" has been designed to advance Maharashtra's development and uplift every section of society.
"The manifesto of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is always fulfilled because it is our resolution. The resolution presented for Maharashtra is for the overall development of the state, to bring every section of society forward, for the upliftment of mothers, sisters, youth, and farmers. This resolution will be fulfilled because every resolution taken under the leadership of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in every election, has been completed. So, the same will happen for Maharashtra," he said.
Dhami further stated, "A double-engine government will be formed in Maharashtra, a Mahayuti government will be formed, and the developmental work that has already started here will be taken forward. Maharashtra's people are well aware of this because, in every state where elections are happening in the country, where a double-engine government is being formed, the development in those states has accelerated at a fast pace. That is why people are repeatedly electing BJP governments, for three consecutive terms in some cases. A recent example of this is the Haryana Assembly election, which is clear proof that the people of Haryana have formed a double-engine government for the third time. Therefore, there should be no doubt that a double-engine government will also be formed in Maharashtra," he added.
Addressing comments from Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who accused the BJP and RSS of undermining the Constitution, Dhami asserted that the highest respect for the Constitution has been demonstrated under Prime Minister Modi's leadership.
"In the Lok Sabha election, the confusion and lies that were spread have been exposed, and after the election, the BJP-led NDA government was formed, with Modi ji becoming the Prime Minister. The highest respect for the Constitution has been shown under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi Ji. Modi Ji's working style has never been such. Therefore, the people of Maharashtra, who were misled by the confusion and lies spread during the Lok Sabha election, will teach them a lesson," he said.
Dhami also criticised the Congress on the caste census and the Maha Vikas Aghadi's (MVA) manifesto, which was launched today. He argued that the Congress party had neglected actions that should have been taken over the last fifty to sixty years and is now making election promises to gain votes.
"As far as the caste census is concerned, for almost sixty years, the Congress party and the coalition governments supported by them have been in power in the country. They didn't do what should have been done in the last fifty to sixty years. Today, only at election time, they are making such announcements just to confuse people and gain votes. These are all just election promises. Our resolve is different. The difference is that a resolve has no alternative. These are just their announcements, and people are seeing them. For example, the promises made in Karnataka have not been fulfilled. In Telangana, where their government is in power, the promises made for farmers and women, such as loan waivers and pensions for women, have not been fulfilled. In Himachal, they promised employment for millions of youth, but today, there is no employment and they don't even have money to pay salaries. So, their announcements are merely election promises. Based on the experiences from other states, the people of Maharashtra will never give them a chance," he said.
Dhami further spoke on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), stating that the Indian Constitution, under Article 44, allows states to implement the UCC.
"The people of Uttarakhand gave us the mandate for it. In the 2022 assembly elections in Uttarakhand, under the leadership of our PM Modi, we went into the elections, and the people of Uttarakhand gave us the mandate to implement it. We fulfilled our promise, and this has been the continuous resolve of our party since the independence of the country--that there should be one law for all citizens of India, a Uniform Civil Code should be there. The Constitution of India also has a provision for it in Article 44, which states that States can implement the Uniform Civil Code at their convenience. And in line with this, we followed the provisions of the Indian Constitution, passed the law, and the President approved it. We made it an Act, and it has been implemented in Uttarakhand, where it is now a law," he said.
In closing, Dhami commented on what he termed as the "appeasement politics" by some parties, saying, "These people go to a particular section of society, unite them, print pamphlets, distribute them, incite them against the BJP, and try to instil fear. So, it is very clear that the other section, which is the majority of the country, understands very well that these people are doing appeasement politics. Therefore, their appeasement politics is being rejected everywhere, and it will be rejected here as well," he added.