PM Modi claims 'political design' behind Shaheen Bagh protest, urges people to vote for 'development'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing his first election rally here on Monday, said that there was a "political design" behind anti-CAA protests including in the city's Shaheen Bagh, and urged the people to vote for the politics of "development" in the coming Delhi Assembly elections.

Highlighting the regularisation of Delhi's unauthorised colonies by his government and targeting the successive governments led by Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for allegedly keeping the matter pending forever, Modi said it was imperative that Delhi gets a BJP government this time around to further take ahead the city's development.

"Be it Seelampur, Jamia or Shaheen Bagh, protests are being held over the past several days over the new citizenship law. Is this just a coincidence? No. This is an experiment," said the Prime Minister in his first election rally for Delhi polls at Karkardooma in the east Delhi.

"There is a political design behind all these protests including Jamia and Shaheen Bagh. These protests are a conspiracy to divide India. These protests are going to ruin the harmony of the nation," he asserted.

Lambasting the opposition parties including Congress and AAP for supporting the ongoing protests, he said: "But AAP and Congress are provoking people. The Constitution and the Tricolor are being kept in the front and attention is being diverted from the real conspiracy."

"These people were doubting the ability of our forces during surgical strikes. Do citizens of Delhi want such people in power? These people are saving those who want to break India into pieces," he added.

People including a large number of women have been protesting at Jamia and Shaheen Bagh against CAA, NRC and NPR for last one-and-a-half-months, calling the CAA as discriminatory and unconstitutional while the Centre has maintained that the new law has no effect on Indian citizens.

Recently, three firing incidents have taken place -- two near Jamia and one at Shaheen Bagh, allegedly by people supporting the CAA and subscribing to the right-wing nationalism.

Modi further said that his government has ensured ownership of homes for the people living in the national capital's unauthorised colonies, something which had been kept pending for decades by the successive governments at the Centre and in the state.

"Despite all the impediments, all the roadblocks, the BJP government at the Centre brought a law in Parliament to legalise the unauthorised colonies in Delhi and ensured ownership of their houses for the living in these colonies," the Prime Minister said.

Modi said that once the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) forms the government in Delhi, it will ensure clean drinking water in every household, besides other civic amenities.

Citing some of the major decisions taken by his government, including abrogation of Article 370 that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir and the CAA, Modi said that it is for the first time in the history of Independent India that the opposition has complained of government working "too fast".

"Today, for the first time in the history of the country, the opposition has a complaint with the government. What is the complaint? They say that Modi is so fast? Just work slowly, why are you taking big decisions one after the other? What is the need for it?," the PM said.

"Article 370 was abrogated after 70 years. Ram Janmabhoomi verdict came after 70 years. Kartarpur Sahib corridor was made after 70 years. India-Bangladesh border issue resolved after 70 years. The CAA came after 70 years. The War Memorial and the Police Memorial made after 50-60 years," he added.

He further cornered the opposition parties over the settlement of Bru refugees in Tripura, the formation of Chief of Defence Staff and the implementation of Good Service Tax (GST).

He said that his government decisively acted on matters which had been pending for decades such as settling Bru refugees in Tripura, creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff, the implementation of GST, procurement of new fighter aircraft (Rafale), and the passing of Benami Property, among others.

Stating that only the BJP can take Delhi to new heights, Modi said: "The BJP does what it says. Our priority is to fulfil people's aspirations and work for them. We believe in positivity, not in negativity."

Modi also took a dig at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for removing AAP's old mfesto from its website.

"21 days ago the AAP party removed its old mfesto from its website. Because people were watching what they promised and how many of these were fulfilled," he said.

"Kejriwal Sir, you hide the mfesto, but we and the people of Delhi will not stop asking questions," he said adding that the BJP fulfills all its promises.

Election to the 70-member Delhi Legislative Assembly is slated to be held on February 8. The counting of votes will take place on February 11.

( With inputs from ANI )