HM Amit Shah highlights youth push and welfare schemes in Darbhanga rally

PATNA: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday launched a broadside against what he called dynastic politics, singling out Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav while addressing a large election rally in Darbhanga.

Shah accused the two leaders of seeking to install their children in top offices. "Sonia Gandhi wants to make her son Rahul Gandhi the Prime Minister and Lalu Prasad Yadav wants to make his son the Chief Minister of Bihar," he said.

 "I want to tell them that there is no vacancy for either post. Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister, and Nitish Kumar is the Chief Minister, and they will remain on those posts," he said.

Framing his attack as a contrast between nepotism and youth empowerment, Shah pointed to the BJP's drive to induct young first-time candidates.

He said the party will give tickets to one lakh young people for local and higher offices and highlighted 25-year-old folk singer Maithili Thakur, whom he said the BJP has fielded from Alinagar despite her lack of prior political background.

"PM Modi has said that the BJP will give tickets to one lakh young people to contest elections for the first time, for positions ranging from village council members and sarpanches to block and district panchayat members, MLAs, and MPs. An RJD leader was asking who we gave tickets to for the first time. So let me tell you, we gave a ticket to 25-year-old Maithili Thakur, who has no political background whatsoever. While Lalu Prasad wants to make his son the Chief Minister and Sonia Gandhi wants to make her son the Prime Minister, the BJP is the only party that promotes youths of the country into politics," he said.

On national security and law-and-order issues, Shah praised the Modi government's actions against the Popular Front of India.

 "The Popular Front of India (PFI) was formed here, but the then Congress government had not banned it. PM Modi banned the PFI in a single night, conducted raids at more than 100 locations, and put the entire PFI network behind bars. I promise that as long as there is even one BJP MP, we will not let a single PFI member out of jail," he asserted. (IANS)

Also Reaad: HM Amit Shah approves release of Rs 20 crore to Nagaland for disaster relief