New Delhi: The opposition on Monday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “never uttered a word against minorities” remark, saying he is “lying” as he is “unleashing hate speech” against Muslims from every available forum.
In an interview with PTI, Modi said he has never uttered a word against minorities, and the BJP has “not just today but never” acted against them. He, however, made it clear that he is not ready to accept anyone as “special citizens”.
Reacting to the prime minister’s remarks, CPI general secretary D Raja said, “It is completely lie. Modi knows how they (BJP) have been talking about Muslims. Who spoke about mangalsutra, mothers giving births to more children? Muslims and other minorities have been disrespected and deprived of many of their due rights.”
The BJP-RSS have been pursuing a “sinister design” of undermining the minorities and ridiculing them, Raja alleged.
Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal said there is no talk of education and health which will take us to ‘Viksit Bharat’ but what is discussed is Mangalsutra.
“They do not think about the development of the country but about the development of their party,” Sibal said.
TMC MP Sagarika Ghose also slammed the prime minister for his remarks.
“When you think he cannot lie anymore, he speaks another lie… This is the party which garlanded the rapists of Bilkis Bano, this is the party which garlanded those who lynched a Muslim cattle trader. Modi himself speaks of ‘shamshan, kabristan’, (UP Chief Minister) Yogi (Adityanath) speaks of 80/20,” she said.
Ghose claimed that Modi has used the most appalling communal language against Muslims like stating that the Congress will give away assets of Hindus to Muslims.
“He is constantly directing hate speech at Muslims from every available forum. BJP functionaries and Sangh Parivar members have attacked Muslims on the ground and no action has been taken against those who abuse Muslims. This is a completely anti-Muslim party. The PM is unleashing hate speech against Muslims from every available forum,” she said.
AAP MP Sanjay Singh said the prime minister’s comments were laughable as he talks in the “language of hate daily”.
“Not only Hindus and Muslims, he makes Hindus fight with each other as well. First make Hindus fight with Muslims, then make Hindus fight with Sikhs, then with Christians, then make them fight Buddhists, make Marathas fight non-Marathas, make Dalits fight backwards… This is Bharatiya ‘jhagda’ party and this is their job,” he said.
DMK spokesperson T K S Elangovan also hit out at the prime minister, saying this is the problem with Modi “that his lie starts getting exposed immediately”.
“Whatever he says, his government does something that makes it a lie. So people do not believe him,” the DMK leader said.
BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said what the PM has said is the truth and all his policies for the poor have benefitted all.
Modi’s comments in an interview to PTI Videos late Sunday are his most unequivocal on minorities amid an outcry from the opposition that his election speeches are communally divisive and polarising.
He also said the Congress has constantly violated the secular spirit of the Constitution, and his campaign speeches are aimed at exposing the opposition parties’ bid to appease the minorities with vote bank politics.
In the interview, Modi was asked what he has to say about the apprehension among the minorities because of his statements.
“I have not spoken a word against minorities. I am only talking against the vote bank politics of Congress. Congress is working against the Constitution, that’s what I have been saying,” he replied.
Modi said the makers of India’s Constitution, including B R Ambedkar and Jawaharlal Nehru, had decided there will be no reservations on the basis of religion.
“Now you are turning away from that. It is my responsibility to expose them. At that time there were no members of my party in the Constituent Assembly. It was an assembly of eminent people from across the country.”
He was again asked if he had never meant to target the minorities in his election speeches, to which he said, “BJP has never been against minorities. Not just today but never.”
