New Delhi, May 1 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hurled a challenge at the Congress and the INDIA bloc to declare that they would not push for religion-based reservations and said that they must promise and give this in writing because their intentions cannot be believed.

Addressing a public meeting in Gujarat's Banaskantha, PM Modi said: "It is my challenge to the Shehzada, Congress and their whole ecosystem to declare that they would not give reservations based on religion nor distort the Constitution."

He also said the INDIA bloc would never promise this because their intentions are not clear.

The Prime Minister further said that the BJP will always protect and preserve the basic nature of the Constitution, as given by BR Ambedkar.

He further accused the INDIA bloc and its ecosystem of trying to snatch the rights of the SCs, STs and the tribal people by bringing the minorities -- Muslims in particular, under OBC category.

"They have done it earlier in Andhra Pradesh and are now trying for same in Karnataka. They must give in writing that they won't give reservations based on religion," PM Modi said at the public rally.

Notably, the Congress manifesto has drawn huge criticism by the BJP because of its promise of a Constitutional amendment to raise the 50 per cent cap on reservations for SC, ST and OBCs.

Also, the party's pitch for caste-based census and re-distribution accordingly has invited ire from various political sections.