Belagavi (Karnataka) | Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday came down heavily on the Congress alleging that it used ‘mazhab' (meaning religion in Urdu) to come to power.

Singh also slammed the party for having introduced four per cent reservation, in its earlier term, on religious lines in Karnataka, saying it had been done only to appease Muslims.

“If there is any political party in the history of India which took the support of ‘dharma', or rather, 'mazhab' to come to power, then it is Congress,” Singh said, addressing a public meeting at Kagwad in Belagavi district.

Karnataka votes on May 10, with the results slated to be declared on May 13.

The Congress does the "politics of Hindu, Muslim and Christians", Singh said. "Politics of this sort should never ever be done." Only to appease Muslims, the four per cent reservation was given on religious lines, he alleged.

“We will welcome if an economically-weaker Muslim or a Christian gets reservation benefits but the Constitution of India does not permit religion-based reservation,” the Defence Minister said.

Just days before the Model Code of Conduct came into force, the BJP government in Karnataka scrapped four per cent reservation for Muslims under 2B category of the Other Backward Castes.

After making 2B redundant, the Karnataka government split the four per cent reservation, giving two per cent each to the two dominant communities of the state, Vokkaligas in 2C and Lingayats in 2D category.

Muslims were then placed in the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category.

Various Muslim bodies have approached the Supreme Court, which has directed the Karnataka government not to implement its decision until it hears the matter on May 9.

“What are you doing? You want to divide the country on the basis of caste, sect and religion? So far as the BJP is concerned, we will speak and do what is true,” Singh said.

Singh alleged that the Congress had been working against the spirit of the Indian constitution. He also stated that politics was not merely about forming a government but about building a society and the nation.

He accused the Congress of having committed contempt against the Constitution "just as it had done in 1975 by amending the Constitution" and thrusted the Emergency upon the nation and imprisoned lakhs of people.

The minister claimed that the BJP could "never do such a sin" whether it came to power or not. Also, the party "never did politics to form a government", but to build the nation and society, he claimed.

“We cannot work against the ethos of the nation. This is our thinking".

Singh said there is "nothing hidden" about the character of BJP as the entire world knows about it. “The BJP never believes in discrimination on the lines of caste, creed and religion. The BJP believes in ‘insaaf aur insaaniyat' (justice and humanity),” he claimed.

He added that the BJP followed the principles of 12th Century social reformer of Karnataka Basaveshwara. “The BJP is playing its role in India by following the principles of Basaveshwara,” the minister said.

Singh appealed to the people of Karnataka to give BJP a two-thirds majority in the 224-member Assembly. “There is only one party, which can eradicate corruption, end poverty and unemployment and it is the BJP,” he said.

Speaking about various development works taking place in the country, Singh said there were 74 airports in India earlier, which had increased to 140 in just nine years of Narendra Modi rule.

The helicopter manufacturing unit of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in Tumakuru will produce ‘Make in India' helicopters, he said. He also claimed that the Centre handled covid like no other countries by giving free vaccines to people.

“Nowhere in the world free ration is given the way it is still being given in India to 80 crore people. All this was possible due to the BJP government,” Singh claimed.

When Modi gave a call for promotion of the digital payments system, many ridiculed him saying how the less educated villagers would use technology. “I would like to give you data about the transactions taking place through the ‘Unified Payment Interface'. In March 2023 alone, Rs 14 lakh crore worth UPI transactions took place,” the minister said.

Speaking about the BJP's steps against corruption, Singh said in the past nine years Rs 1.1 lakh crore worth properties have been seized whereas during the 10 years of Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government's rule, only Rs 10,000 crore worth properties had been seized.

Hailing the diplomacy of the Modi government, Singh said despite the civil war-like situation in Sudan, the first batch of Indians had been brought to India. He also recalled the evacuation of Indian citizens in the midst of war between Russia and Ukraine, and claimed it was done by "managing to stop the clashes" for six hours.

“This could not have been achieved by the Prime Minister of a weak nation. Only a Prime Minister of a strong nation can talk like this,” the minister said.

In 1990, during the Kuwait war, as many as 1.7 lakh Indians were airlifted from the strife-torn country within just two months -- the largest ever civilian evacuation in history.

"There was an impression about India in the past that the country was poor but now India has left the UK behind and become one of the top five economies of the world," the minister said.