Prime Minister on Wednesday alleged the Congress during its previous rule wanted to allocate 15 per cent of the government budget for minorities and vowed not to allow splitting of budget or reservation in jobs and education on the basis of religion.
Addressing an election rally at Pimpalgaon Baswant in north Maharashtra’s Nashik district in support of Mahayuti candidates — Union minister Bharati Pawar (BJP) and Hemant Godse (Shiv Sena) — the PM said splitting budget on religious lines was dangerous.
The BJP’s star Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Constitution, was firmly against religion-based reservation in jobs and education. Modi claimed the Congress, when in power at the Centre, had drawn up plans to allocate 15 per cent of the total budget to minorities. “When I was the chief minister (of Gujarat), the Congress had brought up this proposal. The BJP opposed this move strongly and hence it could not be implemented. But the congress wants to bring this proposal again,” he told the gathering.