PM Modi calls MVA “biggest player in corruption,” slams Congress of dividing tribals and hindering progress

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing a rally in Chimur, Chandrapur district of Maharashtra on Tuesday, made several accusations against the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, which includes the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Shiv Sena (UBT). He referred to the alliance as the “biggest player in corruption” and accused it of stalling development in Maharashtra. Modi stated that the people of Maharashtra had long requested rail connectivity, which he claimed the Congress and its allies never allowed.

Modi detailed how, in his view, the MVA has hindered progress in Maharashtra, particularly in key infrastructure projects. He accused the MVA parties of delaying initiatives meant to improve the region’s connectivity and development. “Stopping, hindering, and misleading – these are the skills Congress excels at,” he said. Modi asserted that the alliance’s actions had resulted in underdevelopment in several areas within the state.

Addressing Congress’s recent calls for a caste-based census, Modi alleged that Congress is attempting to divide the tribal (Adivasi) communities into castes, which he claimed would weaken the community’s unity. Referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s caste census proposal, Modi stated, “The tribal population in our country is around 10%. Congress wants to divide the Adivasi community into castes and weaken them.” He urged the tribal population to avoid internal divisions.

In a critique of the Congress party’s history, Modi brought up the topic of reservations and rights for marginalized communities. He alleged that Congress has historically resisted the advancement of Dalits, backward classes, and Adivasis. He claimed that an advertisement published during Rajiv Gandhi’s leadership in the 1980s raised questions over special rights for these groups. “That is the reason that after Independence, the Congress never allowed Dalits, backward classes, and Adivasis to progress,” he said.

Modi also raised the topic of Article 370, the provision that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir before its revocation in 2019. Modi accused Congress and its allies of politically benefitting from the violence and separatist movements in Jammu and Kashmir over the decades. He stated, “This region has been burning for decades due to separatism and terrorism. The law under which all this happened was Article 370, a legacy of Congress.” Modi emphasized that the BJP’s government had removed this article, integrating Jammu and Kashmir fully with India.

Concluding his address, Modi expressed confidence in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti alliance’s chances in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections, scheduled for November 20, with results on November 23. He highlighted ongoing development projects in the Marathwada region as part of his administration’s efforts to promote a “Viksit Bharat” or developed India.