Not doing Hindu-Muslim politics, only exposing Cong plan to create religion-based rift: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asserted he has never indulged in Hindu-Muslim politics, but was determined to expose the Congress "game plan of appeasement" and uncover the opposition bloc's designs to divide people on the basis of religion.

He accused the Congress of wanting to allocate 15 per cent of the central government budget for minorities and vowed not to allow splitting of budget or reservation in jobs and education on the basis of religion.

Addressing two back-to-back poll rallies in Maharashtra, where the fifth and last phase of voting covering 13 Lok Sabha seats will take place on May 20, the PM hit out at the Shiv Sena (UBT), repeatedly calling it the "duplicate" Shiv Sena, and said the Uddhav Thackeray-led party has abjectly surrendered to the Congress and was silent on criticism of rituals at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

The BJP's star campaigner also held a roadshow in Mumbai in the evening.

Speaking at a rally at Kalyan in Thane district, he said the Congress can never speak of development, but it can only create a rift between Hindus and Muslims.

"Development for the Congress is the development of those who vote for them. I expose this ecosystem, and I am blamed for (doing) Hindu-Muslim (politics)," he said.

The BJP stalwart referred to a 2006 remark of then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to hit out at the Congress.