Modi’s remarks ‘unfortunate’, a ‘matter of regret’, says Oppn
NEW DELHI: Opposition parties on Tuesday stepped up their attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks that the Congress intended to redistribute public wealth to Muslims, saying such comments regarding any community by a person holding high office are “unfortunate” and a “matter of regret”.
Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said: “The Prime Minister is speaking in a different language regarding our manifesto. And it is clear that he is nervous, in trouble, and has adopted the path of polarisation. His language is divisive and for polarisation.”
On Sunday, Modi triggered a row as he said: “When they (Congress) were in power earlier, they said that Muslims have the first right to the country’s resources... This is urban Naxal thinking, and mothers and sisters, they will not even spare your mangalsutra.”
Criticising Modi’s remarks, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said her mother, Sonia Gandhi, sacrificed her mangalsutra for the country — referring to the assassination of her father and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi by terrorists.
Former Union minister P Chidambaram said “the pathalogical fear of defeat has driven BJP to make outrageous allegations, and I am sorry for them”.
NEW DELHI: Opposition parties on Tuesday stepped up their attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks that the Congress intended to redistribute public wealth to Muslims, saying such comments regarding any community by a person holding high office are “unfortunate” and a “matter of regret”.
The attack came even as the BJP said Modi does not engage in politics of religion or of dividing the society and stressed that his predecessor and veteran Congress leader Manmohan Singh had in 2006 talked about extending reservation to Muslims.
At a press conference in Delhi, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said: “The Prime Minister is speaking in a different language regarding our manifesto. And it is clear that he is nervous, in trouble, and has adopted the path of polarisation. His language is divisive and for polarisation.”
On Sunday, Modi triggered a row through his remark that the Congress was influenced by urban Naxals and leftists, and that it will take away people’s gold and property, including women’s mangalsutras, to redistribute them.
“When they (Congress) were in power earlier, they said that Muslims have the first right to the country’s resources. So, who will they redistribute resources to? Those who have more children. Those who are infiltrators... The Congress manifesto says they will take stock of the gold owned by our mothers and sisters, and then they will redistribute that wealth. And distribute it to those who, according to the Manmohan Singh government, have the first right on resources — Muslims. This is urban Naxal thinking, and mothers and sisters, they will not even spare your mangalsutra,” Modi said in Banswara in Rajasthan.
To be sure, a clarification from the Prime Minister’s office in 2006 available on the archives showed that the government at the time clarified that Manmohan Singh had said that all underprivileged sections needed to be uplifted and therefore had the first right on resources.
Criticising Modi’s remarks, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said her mother, Sonia Gandhi, sacrificed her mangalsutra for the country – referring to the assassination of her father and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi by terrorists. “What kind of talk is happening in this country? Two days back there were speeches that the Congress wants to snatch your mangalsutra. This country has been free for the past 75 years, and 55 years Congress was in power. Did the Congress ever snatch your gold or mangalsutra?” she said at an election rally in Bengaluru South Lok Sabha constituency. “When there was war, Indira Gandhi donated her gold. My mother’s mangalsutra was sacrificed for this country.”
In a post on X, former Union finance minister P Chidambaram said “the pathalogical fear of defeat has driven the BJP leaders to make outrageous allegations, and I am sorry for them”. Himachal Pradesh minister Vikramaditya Singh also took exception to Modi’s remarks, saying: “The remarks by a person holding the highest office by singling out any community are unfortunate.”
National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said a Muslim can never snatch the “mangalsutra” of a Hindu woman. “It is to regret that our Prime Minister has said such a thing. Our religion Islam tells us to treat everyone equally. Our religion does not tell us to look down at other religions. It tells us to respect other faiths like we respect our own faith,” he told reporters in Srinagar.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the trends of the ongoing Lok Sabha election results are visible from the BJP leaders’ poll speeches. “Although the election trends come later but now, you must have heard the speech of the people of Delhi and the people of Lucknow. The trends of the election results are visible in the speeches of those who are about to go out of power,” he said, in an apparent reference to Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. Adityanath had earlier in the day claimed that the Congress wanted to implement the Shariat law in the country.
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Modi’s remarks are defamatory and aimed at communal polarisation. “The derogatory reference to intruders and ‘hoarders’ is untrue and part of their ideological code. The fact that the Prime Minister himself has come forward to take political advantage by saying communalism during the elections is an illustration of the challenges facing democratic and secular values in the country,” he told reporters in Kannur.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh, however, attacked the Opposition for creating a ruckus at this time and trying to put a question mark on Modi. “Sisters and brothers, it’s not that I know the PM from today. We have had very good relations for a long time. He has never done politics of Hindu, Muslim and Christian. Our PM never thought of doing politics by dividing the society,” he said.
What else explains the bizarre claim that the Congress will seize the mangalsutra… redistribute them? Even the most die-hard supporter of the BJP will not believe these meaningless utterances. — P CHIDAMBARAM, Congress leader
PM Modi has never done politics of Hindu, Muslim and Christian. Our Prime Minister never thought of doing politics by dividing the society. — RAJNATH SINGH, Defence minister