How Ram Mohan Roy ended sati, I stopped dynasty politics: Modi

In Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav’s native district of Etawah, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took dynastic politics head-on and said that much like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, who abolished evil practices like sati and child-marriage, he too ‘has put an end to the practice of only scions of royal families’ holding the posts of chief minister and prime minister, paving the way for any poor man’s son to hold these posts.

Modi’s address in Etawah was also meant to send a message to voters of Mainpuri and Kannauj, with BJP candidates of all three seats present on stage. While Mainpuri has been Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Lok Sabha seat, now being contested by daughter-in-law Dimple Yadav, Kannauj is being contested by Akhilesh Yadav.

Modi recalled Mulayam Singh’s “blessing” to him in Parliament before the 2019 elections when he had said that he hoped that Modi would come back as PM for a second term. “Today, Netaji is not there among us, but look at the coincidence, his brother is appealing to make BJP win. He expressed his heart’s desire after all,” Modi said, taking a jibe at Shivpal Yadav’s gaffe a few days ago when, in a statement, instead of mentioning SP, he asked people to vote for ‘BJP’.

“Some think of Mainpuri, Kannauj and Etawah as their estates. Some consider Amethi and Raebareli as their properties. But Modi’s legacy is the house of the poor. Modi’s legacy is the toilets received by crores of mothers and sisters of the country. It is the power, gas and taps gotten by Dalits and backwards, the free ration and free treatment received by the poor. It is the national education policy made for the bright future of your kids. Modi’s legacy is of everyone and for everyone. Who knows that in 2047, one of your sons and daughters becomes the PM, the CM. This chaiwala has abolished the evil practice that only a scion of a royal family will become PM or CM. Sometimes, we think of Raja Ram Mohan Roy as he put an end to an evil practice (of sati). Likewise, it will be discussed that there used to be a PM, who was a chaiwala, who abolished such an evil practice so that now a poor man’s son can become a CM or a PM,” Modi said.

Modi reiterated his claim that the Congress and SP want to introduce religion-based reservation wherein the 27% OBC quota will be distributed among Muslims, picking Karnataka as an example.