PM Modi's remark on wealth redistribution triggers controversy
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stirred the hornet's nest with his remarks at a poll rally in Rajasthan that the Congress planned to give people's hard-earned money and valuable to "infiltrators" and "those who have more children."
Subhashis Mittra
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stirred the hornet's nest with his remarks at a poll rally in Rajasthan that the Congress planned to give people's hard-earned money and valuable to "infiltrators" and "those who have more children."
Modi has stoked a controversy by speaking about Muslims in a controversial manner in his speech at a public rally in Rajasthan's Banswara on April 21, targetting the Congress manifesto and past policies.
Peeved over his comments, the Congress on Monday knocked the Election Commission's doors seeking action against the prime minister for his "redistribution of wealth" remark made at a poll rally in Rajasthan, alleging they were "divisive", "malicious" and targeted a particular religious community.
But, despite the Congress party's vehement criticism, Modi renewed his "redistribution of wealth" attack against the Congress at a rally in Aligarh on Monday.
A team of Congress leaders met the Election Commission and handed over complaints against the prime minister, alleging that he has trampled upon and violated the model code and directions of the poll body.
"The Prime Minister has to be held accountable by the ECI for the brazen trampling of the Model Code of Conduct as well as the whole gamut of offences - electoral and otherwise - committed by him and his party," the party said in a representation, adding inaction by the poll panel in the matter will tarnish its legacy.
The delegation alleged that Modi was using religion to ask voters to refrain from voting for it and was making false and defamatory statements against the opposition party and its leaders. The team submitted 16 complaints against the BJP and sought immediate action against the ruling party.
Coming to his defence, Union minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said PM Modi has never done politics based on religion or by dividing the society and stressed that his predecessor Dr Manmohan Singh had in 2006 talked about extending reservation for the Muslims.
The defence minister made the remarks at an election rally in Greater Noida (UP). He attacked the opposition for creating a ruckus at this time and trying to put a question mark on Prime Minister Modi.
"Sisters and brothers, it's not that I know the prime minister from today. We have had very good relations for a long time. He has never done politics of Hindu, Muslim and Christian. Our prime minister never thought of doing politics by dividing the society," Singh said.
"He (Modi) said at one place that Congress has said in its manifesto that we will get the properties surveyed. If it is said in the manifesto then why should people have any objection to it. What do you want to do by getting the properties surveyed? Do you want to distribute the country's resources equally? What do you want to do?" he asked. The BJP veteran also asked the Congress to clear its position on the matter.
"Dr Manmohan Singh ji was the Prime Minister of India. I respect Dr Manmohan Singh ji even today, I have respect for him, brothers and sisters. Dr Manmohan Singh himself in the meeting of the National Defence Council at the Vigyan Bhawan on December 9, 2006, had said that if anyone has the first right on the property of this country, it is the minority and especially said that it belongs to the Muslims," Singh said.
"Sisters and brothers, whatever property and whatever resources there are in this country, everyone should have equal rights, he had said this, we did not say this. Now when the prime minister said this, these people created an uproar over it," he added.
Firing another salvo at the Congress, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday made serious allegations against it and said the grand old party has in its election manifesto expressed its intention to implement the 'Sharia law' in the country and redistribute people's property.
Addressing an election rally in Amroha (UP), Adityanath said, "The Congress and its allies have betrayed the country and have once again come to you with their false manifesto. If you look at the Congress' manifesto, they say that if they form a government, we will implement the Sharia law." "You tell me, will this country be run by the Constitution made by Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar or by Shariat?" he asked.
Congress people talk in their manifesto that they will implement 'vyaktigat kanoon' (personal laws). That means Sharia law will be implemented because Modi ji stopped the practice of triple talaq," Adityanath said. "They say that we will again restore personal law. These people will implement Sharia law...," he added.
Escalating his attack, Adityanath alleged, "The Congress manifesto says that they will take people's property and distribute it. Do you want to allow the Congress and Samajwadi Party to loot your property?"
Referring to a comment made by Dr Manmohan Singh in 2006, Adityanath said, "When Dr Manmohan Singh ji was the Prime Minister, he had said that Muslims have the first right on the country's resources..." "So where will our Dalits, backward classes, Kharagvanshis, Pals, poor and farmers go? Where will the mothers and sisters go, where will the youth go?" he asked.
Amid raging controversy over his 'redistribution of wealth' remarks, the prime minister again charged that the Congress will snatch people's wealth and distribute it to select people.
Addressing an election rally in Tonk in Rajasthan on Tuesday, Modi said the then prime minister Manmohan Singh had given a speech in which he had said that Muslims have the first right on the resources of the country. "This was not a coincidence. This is not a single statement. Congress' ideology has always been of appeasement and vote bank politics. As soon as the Congress formed the government at the Centre in 2004, one of the first things it did was to reduce the SC/ST reservation in Andhra Pradesh and give it to Muslims," he said.
"This was a pilot project which the Congress wanted to try in the entire country. Between 2004 and 2010, the Congress tried to implement Muslim reservation in Andhra Pradesh four times but due to legal hurdles and the awareness of the Supreme Court, it could not fulfil its intention," he said. "In 2011, the Congress tried to implement it throughout the country. They played a game of snatching away the rights given to SC, ST and OBC and giving them to others for vote bank politics. The Congress did this deliberately and without caring about the Constitution and B R Ambedkar," he said.
"I have put forth the truth before the country that the Congress is hatching a deep conspiracy to snatch your wealth and distribute it among 'select' people," he said. Modi said when he exposed the vote bank politics of Congress, it angered the Congress and its INDI Alliance so much that they have started abusing him everywhere. "Why is the Congress scared of the truth and hiding its policies," the prime minister asked.
Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said the party is exploring legal remedies as the Election Commission is not acting on the complaint against Prime Minister Modi for his redistribution of wealth remarks.
Shrinate said institutions like the EC need to have complete faith of the people and they should work to restore that trust if it is shaken. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi made hate speeches in Rajasthan. My colleagues met the EC on Monday and we have pressed charges against him. As they are not acting upon our complaint, we are looking at legal remedies," she told mediapersons in Guwahati.
"We hope that it will be a free and fair election. But we see little evidence of that, Shrinate said, asserting that the less said about the EC's actions against the BJP, the better.
