PM Narendra Modi in his latest salvo against the Congress said its poll manifesto (declared a day before), “has the stamp of the Muslim League” — the party blamed for the Partition — and “every page reeks of breaking India into pieces” (har panne par Bharat ke tukde karne ki boo aa rahi hai).
He said: “Today the country is saying in one voice that the Congress that fought for freedom died decades ago.”
Addressing BJP election rallies in Saharanpur in western UP and Ajmer in Rajasthan, Modi also criticised the Congress for staying away from the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and for remarks against Shakti.
“Opposing the visit to the consecration of Ram temple? Is it appropriate? Not only this, if someone visited, he was expelled from the party for six years. Can this happen in this country, can you imagine the country without Lord Ram?… Lord Ram has got a permanent abode. Ram Navami is coming and people are going to celebrate. Let’s see how much you oppose it,” he said.
Speaking in Ajmer, he said the BJP was established on April 6 “and look at the coincidence that I have had the good fortune to come to Pushkar today. Brahma ji to niyanta hai, nirmata hai, aur BJP bhi naye Bharat ke nirman ke liye pratibhaddh hai (Brahma ji is the one who decides, he is the creator, and the BJP too is committed to building a new India).”
He said “Yesterday, the Congress party issued a bundle of lies. This bundle of lies is going to expose the truth of Congress. Aap dekhiye, har panne par Bharat ke tukde karne ki boo aa rahi hai. Congress ke ghoshnapatra main wahi soch jhalakti hai jo soch azaadi ke samay Muslim League mein thi. Muslim League ke us samay ke vicharon ko Congress aaj Bharat par thopna chahti hai (Every page reeks of breaking India into pieces. The Congress manifesto reflects the same thinking which was in the Muslim League at the time of Independence, and Congress wants to impose those thoughts on India today).”
And in Saharanpur, Modi said, “The Congress of today is completely disconnected with the nation’s hopes and aspirations… Its manifesto has the stamp of the then Muslim League. And what little remained in this Muslim League manifesto has been captured by Communists. One cannot spot the Congress at all in this (manifesto). Such a Congress as exists today cannot take India forward in the 21st century,” he said, virtually equating the promises made to minorities in the manifesto with Jinnah’s Muslim-centric politics in the run-up to Partition.
The Congress manifesto has a section on religious minorities, saying “the Congress will ensure that, like every citizen, minorities have the freedom of choice of dress, food, language and personal laws” – this has been read by the BJP as defending Muslim personal law, the hijab, Urdu as a language, and food choices of minorities. The Congress said while it would encourage reform in personal laws, it should happen with the consent of the community.
That Muslim men have the right to polygamy has been a major concern for the BJP and RSS over the decades – and they have said that this is against the rights of Muslim women.
In his speech, Modi said, “At one time, the Congress fought for freedom. And stalwarts were associated with it. Mahatma Gandhi was associated with it. But today the country is saying in one voice that the Congress that fought for freedom died decades ago. The Congress that exists today neither has policies for the nation’s interests nor a vision for national development.”
He said his government had brought a tough law against instant triple talaq, adding that not just Muslim women but also their relatives – their parents, their brothers and sisters – were relieved because family members also suffer when their daughter or sister suffers.
“We are committed to making India a developed country. But what are our political opponents doing? They are desperate to gain power. I am seeing the first election in the country where the Opposition is not claiming that it will win. Have you heard a single Opposition leader saying that they will come to power? The Opposition is contesting only to bring BJP seats below 370 and to bring NDA seats below 400,” he said.
Modi took a dig at the SP for changing its candidates – the reference seemed to be to nearby Meerut – and at the Congress for not finding candidates even on seats that were once its strongholds – referring to the suspense over candidates for the Nehru-Gandhi family’s erstwhile bastions of Amethi and Raebareli.
“You have seen my work. Each moment is dedicated to the nation. And I tell you – 24/7 for 2047. This Modi is for you and the nation each moment. And that is why Modi says that your dream is Modi’s resolve. If I am attacking corruption, it is for your better future. The corrupt rob you and your rights. They stop you from stepping forward. If your son or daughter deserves a job but the corrupt give it to someone else, what will happen to your son or daughter. So, for the future of your kids, I am facing abuse and yet fighting,” he said.
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