New Delhi: Even though Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nasty election speech in Rajasthan's Banswara has triggered a nationwide controversy, the Election Commission has so far not taken any action. Meanwhile the Opposition bloc INDIA called the speech an attempt to divert attention from "real issues".
Addressing the people Banswara, on April 21, (Sunday) Modi openly attacked India’s Muslims, suggesting they were “infiltrators” and went on to claim that the opposition if elected would give away “mangalsutras” and “land” of those listening to his speech to them (Muslims).
He referred to his immediate predecessor, Dr Manmohan Singh who was in office for 10 years as prime minister till 2014, and said, “Earlier, when his government was in power, he had said that Muslims have the first right on the country’s property, which means who will they collect this property and distribute it to – those who have more children, will distribute it to the infiltrators. Will the money of your hard work be given to the infiltrators? Do you approve of this?”
Modi went on to say, “This Congress manifesto is saying that they will calculate the gold of the mothers and sisters, get information about it and then distribute it. Manmohan Singh’s government had said that Muslims have the first right on property. Brothers and sisters, these urban Naxal thoughts will not let even your mangalsutra escape, they will go this far.”
Narendra Modi and the BJP so far in their campaign trail have invoked religious faith, the Ram temple and Lord Ram multiple times, directly using it to call for people to vote for them. The Election Commission has been completely silent on the messaging via videos, tweets and other exhortations.
Did Manmohan Singh really say that?
Modi’s claim that Dr Singh said that is not new and was refuted in 2006 itself by Singh’s PMO, when Modi had first made the false claim. The PMO had termed such remarks, “a deliberate and mischievous misinterpretation of what the Prime Minister said here yesterday at the meeting of the National Development Council, on fiscal priorities of the government.” It was termed “an avoidable controversy has been generated. The Prime Minister’s observations have also been quoted out of context in some sections of the electronic media, fuelling a baseless controversy.”
The full text of the paragraph in which the Prime Minister referred to the issue of minority empowerment to clarify the matter is as follows:
“I believe our collective priorities are clear: agriculture, irrigation and water resources, health, education, critical investment in rural infrastructure, and the essential public investment needs of general infrastructure, along with programmes for the upliftment of SC/STs, other backward classes, minorities and women and children. The component plans for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will need to be revitalized. We will have to devise innovative plans to ensure that minorities, particularly the Muslim minority, are empowered to share equitably in the fruits of development. They must have the first claim on resources. The Centre has a myriad other responsibilities whose demands will have to be fitted within the over-all resource availability.”
The PMO’s clarification said. “it will be seen from the above that the Prime Minister’s reference to “first claim on resources” refers to all the “priority” areas listed above, including programmes for the upliftment of SCs, STs, OBCs, women and children and minorities.
Opposition reacts
Chairman, Media and Publicity department of the Congress, Pawan Khera said in a video message in a post, “We challenge the Prime Minister to show us if the word Hindu or Muslim is written anywhere in our manifesto. This kind of lightness is there in your mentality, in your political values. We have talked about justice for the youth, women, farmers, tribals, middle class and workers. Do you object to this as well?”
Khera was referring to earlier mistruths uttered by Modi about the “Muslim League” having influenced the Congress manifesto.
In Jharkhand’s Ranchi at an opposition rally, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is reported to have said by BBC Hindi, “If democracy and the Constitution end in the country, then the people will have nothing left. Babasaheb Ambedkar ji and Jawaharlal Nehru ji gave equal voting rights to everyone, due to which all classes got respect. But Narendra Modi wants to snatch their rights from the poor.”
B.V. Srinivas termed it as unfortunate that “this person is the Prime Minister of this country, and an even bigger tragedy is that the Election Commission of India is no longer alive.” He said that “due to the frustration of impending defeat, the Prime Minister of India is openly sowing the seeds of hatred, he is polarising by misquoting Manmohan Singh’s 18-year-old incomplete statement, But the Election Commission (Modi ka parivar) is bowing down.”
Modi’s past hate-speech
Modi, in his 12-year tenure as chief minister of Gujarat was known to have made speeches targeting the state’s minority Muslim community brazenly, terming camps where Muslims were forced to stay in after communal violence gripped the state in 2002. Frontline covered him on his Gujarat Gaurav Yatra started shortly after the violence, at a rally at Becharaji in Mehsana district in northern Gujarat, when he said, “What should we do? Run relief camps for them? Do we want to open baby-producing centres? But for certain people that means hum paanch, hamare pachees.”
In 2017 it was time again for direct speech targeting Muslims when in February he spoke of ‘shamshaan versus kabristan’ campaigning for UP and then for Gujarat elections when the BJP had its worst performance this millennium, in a speech at Palanpur on December 10, 2017 Modi invoked a “secret meeting” to get Pakistan to fix Gujarat’s assembly polls. He said that a meeting was held at Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s residence, attended by former PM Manmohan Singh, former Vice-President Hamid Ansari, former Army Chief Deepak Kapoor and distinguished diplomats to execute the plot. Modi’s PMO faced embarrassment when in response to an RTI filed by the Congress, his office was forced to say that Modi’s campaign speech could have been based on an “informal input”.
In the only question he has answered as part of a press conference with Joe Biden on June 22, 2023, Modi was asked, “India has long prided itself as the world’s largest democracy, but there are many human rights groups who say that your government has discriminated against religious minorities and sought to silence its critics. As you stand here in the East Room of the White House, where so many world leaders have made commitments to protecting democracy, what steps are you and your government willing to take to improve the rights of Muslims and other minorities in your country and to uphold free speech?”
In response Modi appeared visibly frazzled and denied all charges. “I’m actually really surprised that people say so. And so, people don’t say it. Indeed, India is a democracy.”
The journalist was trolled online by BJP leaders and supporters to such an extent that the White House had to come out and defend her and strongly denounce the trolling and abuse.
Comments
Enchina marre pataki pottawuna???
Jagattu kandantaha nicha MP. Irony of india is Dr.Zakir Naik who is trying to unite hindus and muslims is an anti nationalist and the persons gives hate speeches like Nalin Kateel is having place in our parliament.
We people of DK cannot blame Nalin kumar because he has the communal mindset since his childhood because he belongs to an organisation who teaches hate and divide people.
People of DK Should be ashamed for voting this cheap MP. Shame on Naleel Kumar.
Mr.Kateel, you have already degraded your personality. Please don't degrade educated, qualified, culture people of Dakshina Kannada who voted you in the name of Modi.
Please \ DK ka naam badnaam naa karo\".... you are people's representative. don't forget.
By the way when RTI activist Mr. Baliga was murdered by your own man , what happened to your Fire speech??? when a poor hindu was killed by your own 20 members in the middle of the road, that time what happened to your fire speech??"
Master blaster Nalianna, which part of the world you living in? you bull of the gate!!!!! Or greatest bafoon of the world?
RSS Goonda, Looter, Criminals, what you thaught about Gods own Country, they are Msllus not like you cheals!!!
Master ponkela do you have a good blood in yr vains do it stop them to enter your place then you Criminals see it.
Jsi hoo Prabakara bhstttta!!!!
The nation wants to know whether this Kateel's Dakshina Kannada is in Pakistan?
Hindus will definitely reply in appropriate manner,,,,for this hindu organisations have full support from the comunity of hindus,,,no doubt law and oder will take brunt from this,,,,police better take note of such issues or else it will turn ugly ,,,,,history is proof to this,,,,lets not joke about,,,,
Let police kill those individuals who want to burn entire district and kill hundreds of thousands of innocents.
i feel pitty for mangalorians to have MP like this.....Nice to see so called \Ayyappa vratadari \" also participated in terrorists program..."
Dont burn entire Dakshina Kannada district. Kalladka town also falls under DK. If that also burns then BJP may lose its master.
Very good and very noble gesture, this kind of leader is very eminent for place like Dakshina Kannada.
Finally Kateel spoke the truth. His ultimate aim is setting the district ablaze. I think he spoke truth because of last night's new year party.
The summary of BJP leader's speech is like this: \Terrorist want to set Dakshina Kannada district ablaze. So let us not give them opportunity. Let us burn down the district ourselves\".."
Hahahaha. What a hilarious speech. Balakke benki hacchi aaa kade ee kade jump maadidre Jillege benki beelalla. Neeve suttu hogteera
If one goes through his speech carefully then he he can easily understand the mental condition of the speaker.
F****. Am feeling pity for the people of Dakshina Kannada who voted him to power.
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