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New Delhi, April 22 (Compilation from News Sites): Hate has become part of the Indian canvas for a decade now. It is not that there was no communalism before, in fact some of the bloodiest communal violence has taken place over the years in independent India but never before has it been legitimised, and even applauded as it is now.
The Muslim has been put up as the minority to be most reviled, and victimised in the process, with lynchings, attacks, intimidation becoming the norm, as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders endorse the sectarian and communal violence in loud tones.
It is, however, still a matter of some surprise when the Prime Minister of India, who is supposed to be wedded to the Constitution that ensures equality to all citizens of the country, loses control to the extent where he indulges in what can only be described as hate speech.
PM Narendra Modi’s remarks at an election rally in Rajasthan went even further than his “fish eating under Mughal (read Muslim) influence” remarks against Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejaswi Yadav, as here he spoke directly of Muslims in a style that was threatening in its articulation.
Taking a dig at the Congress’ promise to address the inequality of wealth and income in its manifesto for the Lok Sabha election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the Congress, if elected to power at the Centre, would distribute people’s property, land and gold among Muslims. “The Congress has [already] declared that Muslims have the first right to the country’s resources,” Mr. Modi said.
Modi addressed public meetings in support of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates in Rajasthan’s Jalore and Banswara constituencies, both of which will go to the polls in the second phase on April 26. While BJP State executive member Lumbaram Choudhary is the party’s nominee in Jalore, the party has fielded Congress turncoat and veteran tribal leader Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya from Banswara.
PM has new tactics for diverting attention from real issues: Rahul Gandhi on Modi’s ‘redistribution of wealth’ remarks
Modi said the Congress had announced that it would conduct a survey to find out the property of individuals, gold owned by women, silver mostly owned by tribal families, and land and cash belonging to government employees and others, and redistribute it. “Can you tolerate the government snatching your hard-earned money and property?” he asked.
While the Congress manifesto has promised to make “suitable changes in policies” to address the growing inequality of wealth and income, party leader Rahul Gandhi said in Hyderabad earlier this month that the Congress, if voted to power, would carry out a financial and institutional survey, after the caste census, to ascertain the distribution of wealth among the people in the country.
Mr. Modi said the then Congress Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had stated in 2006 that Muslims had the first claim on the country’s resources. “That means the property will be distributed among those who have a large number of children… and among the intruders. Is it acceptable to you?” he asked.
The Prime Minister said the “urban Naxal” ideology of Congress would even deprive the women of their auspicious mangal sutra. “Gold jewellery of my mothers and sisters is not just for show. It is a matter of their self-respect. Congress has stooped to such a level. How can you tolerate your hard-earned money going in the hands of intruders?” Mr. Modi said.
hul Gandhi. | Photo Credit: ANI
The Congress accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of speaking in a “poisonous language” on April 22 and said that he has several new tactics for diverting attention from real issues.
On April 21, the party hit out at Mr. Modi over his “redistribution of wealth” remarks targeting the party, saying after facing “disappointment” in the first phase of Lok Sabha polls, the prime minister has now resorted to “lies” and “hate speech” to divert people from the real issues.
Sharing a Congress advertisement on rising prices and unemployment in India on social media platform X, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said, “Unemployment and inflation are at their peak in the country and Narendra Modi says ‘everything is fine’.” “He (Modi) has several new techniques to ‘divert from the issues’, But the end of the business of lies is near,” he added.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also stepped up his attack on the prime minister. “The Prime Minister speaks in a poisonous language on a whole lot of issues. He should also answer a simple question – Since 1951, census has been conducted every ten years. This reveals the actual data of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe population. This should have been done in 2021 but has not been done till date. Why is the Prime Minister silent on this?” he said. This is a conspiracy to destroy the Constitution of Babasaheb Ambedkar, he alleged.
The Congress stepped up its attack on the prime minister after he suggested that if the Congress came to power, it would redistribute the wealth of people to Muslims and cited former PM Manmohan Singh’s remark that the minority community had the first claim on the country’s resources.
Oppostition parties demand action
In a post on X, Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said while the prime minister’s remarks are atrocious, the silence of the Election Commission is worse. “This is atrocious! The silence of the Election Commission is more atrocious!! Modi’s inflammatory speech is a gross violation of the Model Code of Conduct and Supreme Court pronouncements on Hate Speech,” he said, adding that the remarks merit strictest action. “Hope the Supreme Court takes suo motu cognisance of this incendiary speech and issues Modi a contempt of Court notice followed by strictest punishment,” he said.
Trinamool Congress leader Saket Gokhale also appealed to the people to write to the Election Commission over Mr. Modi’s remarks. In a post on X, the TMC Rajya Sabha MP shared the email id of the Chief Election Commissioner, and urged people to write to him, stating that the poll panel does not listen to the Opposition. “Election Commission ignores the Opposition and has kept giving a free pass to Modi and the BJP. During elections, the EC is not accountable to political parties. But – they’re accountable to the people of India,” Gokhale said.
He urged at least a thousand “responsible Indian citizens” to email the CEC demanding strict action against Modi for his remarks.
Addressing a rally in Rajasthan’s Banswara, Mr. Modi alleged the Congress plans to give people’s hard-earned money and valuables to “infiltrators” and “those who have more children”.
END
Taking a swipe at the Congress-Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alliance in Delhi, Mr. Modi said the ‘shahiparivaar’ (royal family) of the Congress would not cast votes for its own party in the national capital for the first time. As the Congress has not fielded its candidate from the New Delhi Lok Sabha seat, Mr. Modi asked what right the party had to seek people’s votes elsewhere.
“In Banswara, Congress leaders are going door-to-door, asking people not to vote for their own party,” Mr. Modi said, in an oblique reference to the party’s candidate, Arvind Damor, refusing to withdraw his nomination after it decided to extend support to Bharat Adivasi Party candidate Rajkumar Roat. Mr. Damor’s presence in the fray has caused embarrassment to the Opposition Congress.
Mr. Modi said the nation was punishing the Congress for its “sins” as the party, which had once won 400 seats in Lok Sabha, was unable to find candidates and contest even 300 seats this time. The Congress had also been unable to find a single tribal person who could be the country’s President during the 60 years of its rule, he said.
Without naming former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Mr. Modi said those who were unable to contest and win an election had “fled the ground to take the Rajya Sabha route” from Rajasthan. Ms. Gandhi was recently elected as a Rajya Sabha Member from the State. Mr. Modi said former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was also elected to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan, was ill for a long time and never seen in the State.
The Prime Miniter said the BJP was working with utmost sincerity and commitment to uplift the underprivileged, while the Congress was trading in “fear, hunger and corruption”. “Congress has a history of intimidating Dalits, tribals and minorities and perpetuating a culture of fear and oppression,” he said, while appealing to the people to vote for BJP candidates.
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