Political heat has heightened with only 48 hours left for campaigning to the first phase of Jharkhand polls scheduled on November 13.

On Saturday, Union home minister Amit Shah and leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi traded barbs at each other at election rallies in Jamshedpur.

Shah accused Rahul of showing a “fake” copy of the Constitution at rallies in Jharkhand while reiterating that the BJP will never allow the Congress to implement reservations for minorities.

“Rahul Gandhi shows a copy of the Constitution. He was exposed two days ago. Someone got a copy of the Constitution he has shown. The Constitution of India was written on the cover of that copy which was void of any content…. Don’t make a mockery of the Constitution. It is a question of faith and trust. Showing a fake copy of the Constitution, you have insulted B.R. Ambedkar and the constituent Assembly. The Congress party has made the Constitution a mockery,” Shah alleged at a rally in Palamu.

Shah said the Congress was hell-bent on snatching reservations from OBCs, tribals and Dalits and “planned to give it to minorities”.

“The Congress is against the OBC quota, it promised 10 per cent reservation to minorities when a delegation of Ulemas met Congress leaders in Maharashtra. The BJP will never allow religion-based reservations,” Shah alleged.

In Jamshedpur, Shah attacked the Congress for its alleged attempts to restore Article 370 in Kashmir. “Kashmir is an integral part of India. I warn Rahul Gandhi that even your fourth-generation can’t bring back Article 370,” he said.

Shah accused the Congress as “anti-OBC”. “They (Congress) have done injustice to the backward classes. The report of Kaka Saheb Kalekar Commission disappeared. Then Mandal Commission was formed to give reservation to the backward classes. Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi opposed it. In 2014, the Modi government gave 27 per cent reservation to backward classes in all the examinations and jobs of the Centre. The Backward Class Commission was formed by the Modi government only,” Shah claimed.

Shah later in the day held a roadshow in Jamshedpur East seat for BJP candidate Purnima Sahu, the daughter-in-law of former chief minister and Odisha governor Raghubar Das.

Rahul on Saturday accused the BJP’s policies on demonetisation and GST that had harmed farmers, labourers, the middle class and the poor in the country. “Policies of Narendra Modi are responsible for spreading unemployment in India. Demonetisation, GST are weapons to kill the poor, farmers and labourers,” he said in Jamshedpur.

Rahul accused the Prime Minister of funding capitalists who in turn invest money abroad and was optimistic that they would soon defeat Modi and work for the welfare of masses and protect the Constitution.

“Narendra Modi and his policies have brought the highest unemployment in India. How much loan did Narendra Modi waive off for you, but he waived off ₹16 lakh crore of 25 people like Adani-Ambani. We have decided that we will give the same amount of money to the public as he waives off,” Rahul said.