Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday hit out at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for his claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was seeking votes for Shah as his successor due to the 75 years age 'rule' in the BJP, and told him that there was "no need for you to be happy" as Modi will continue to lead the country post-2024 Lok Sabha polls.
There was nothing written in the BJP's constitution on any such age ceiling, and there was no confusion in the BJP over the matter, Shah told reporters at a press conference here.
Shah's comments came in response to Kejriwal's remarks that Modi was seeking votes for the Union Home Minister to make him PM as the Prime Minister would turn 75 next year.
"I would like to tell Arvind Kejriwal and company and the whole Indi alliance, Modi becomes 75, there is no need for you to feel happy. It is not written anywhere in BJP's constitution. Modi will complete the term and will continue to lead the country. There is no confusion in BJP on this," Shah said in reply to a question on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader's comments.
Kejriwal in New Delhi said: "These people ask INDIA bloc about their (PM) face. I ask the BJP who will be their PM? Modi ji is turning 75 on September 17 next year. He had made the rule that people aged 75 would be retired. They retired LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Sumitra Mahajan. He (Modi) will retire next year. He is seeking votes for making Amit Shah the prime minister. Will Shah fulfill Modiji's guarantee?" To a related query, Shah said, "His (Kejriwal) base is that Modi ji will be changed. I have made it clear that Modi will not be changed. At the root, why did he say that? Modi ji will be changed after 75. It has been decided not to change".
Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi in New Delhi said Kejriwal's claim is an acknowledgement by the AAP leader that the saffron party is set to retain power at the Centre for a third straight term.
Mounting a counter-charge, Trivedi also said Kejriwal is speaking of the ruling party's succession plan but could not trust any of his party colleagues to succeed him despite being jailed on money-laundering charges.
Further, Shah launched a scathing attack on Congress and its leaders, alleging that due to the fear of Pakistan having a nuclear bomb, the grand old party wants to give up India's rights over Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Earlier, Shah addressed election rallies at Vikarabad and Nagarkurnool in Telangana on the last day of campaigning ahead of the May 13 Lok Sabha polls in the state.
He also said if Kejriwal thinks that the Supreme Court's interim bail is a clean chit, his understanding of the law is "poor".
The home minister also expressed confidence that the BJP would emerge as the largest party in South India in terms of Lok Sabha seats.
The BJP is confident of winning more than 10 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana, he said.
In his address at a rally at Vikarabad, Shah recalled that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had conducted nuclear tests at Pokhran on this day in 1998 and made the country a nuclear power.
The Congress lacks the courage to conduct surgical strikes and airstrikes, he claimed.
He said PM Modi did surgical strikes and air strikes within 10 days after Pakistan terrorists attacked the country and "finished them".
Referring to the reported comments of Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah on Pakistan having an atom bomb, the home minister said he would like to ask Rahul Gandhi if PoK would be given to the neighbouring country because it possessed a nuclear bomb.
"As long as BJP is there, it cannot happen" and PoK belongs to India and we will take it, he said.
"They don't feel shame. Due to fear of an atom bomb, they want to give up our rights over PoK. But you don't worry, Modi ji is going to be Prime Minister again and Pakistan's bullets will be replied to with cannon," Shah said.
PM Modi has ended terror and naxalism in the country, he said.
Referring to Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's comments on surgical strikes, he said, "Revanth Reddy, where did you keep your mind? You kept it in Italy?".
Reddy on Friday claimed an intelligence failure in preventing the Pulwama incident of 2019 when a terror strike on Indian troops left about 40 CRPF personnel dead.
Attacking the ruling Congress and BRS in Telangana, Shah alleged that the 'steering' of the government always lay with AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi.
The four per cent Muslim reservation introduced in Telangana robs the quotas of SC, ST and OBCs. Whenever BJP comes to power, it will end Muslim reservations, he said.
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