India’s main opposition party, the Indian National Congress (INC), or simply ‘Congress’. accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday violated election laws by calling Indian Muslims “infiltrators” in a campaign speech.
India is in the midst of a major Lok Sabha election.election Began It will take place on Friday and is scheduled to last six weeks. Mr. Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are heavily favored to win the election.
Mr Modi on Sunday decided to criticize the remarks of his predecessor Manmohan Singh of the Congress party during an election speech in Rajasthan. Singh served as prime minister from 2004 to 2014.
What Shin gave was speech In 2006, he said the government should “develop innovative plans to ensure that minorities, particularly Muslim minorities, are empowered to share fairly in the fruits of development.”
Mr. Singh was referring to minorities in general in his 2006 remarks, saying, “They must claim the first right to our resources,” but his critics argue that he was referring specifically to Muslims. He said he was talking about Christians.
Manmohan Singh, then Prime Minister of India, speaks at a press conference in Srinagar, India, on May 25, 2006. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)
The line was highly controversial at the time, with Singh’s office issuing a “clarification” a few days later, with critics calling him “taken out of context” and calling his comments “deliberate and mischievous.” He accused her of misunderstanding.
According to the statement, Mr. Singh will “advocate for our resources first” on all top economic and social priorities, as well as affirmative action and welfare for Muslims and other disadvantaged minorities. is actually what they are looking for.
PM Modi and his party never accepted that explanation, and in a controversial speech on Sunday, PM Modi followed the most negative interpretation of Mr Singh’s 18-year-old remarks. He claimed that the Congress still has the same views as Singh and plans to plunder Indian taxpayers to fund wealth redistribution schemes if it wins power in this election.
“What the Congress has said in its manifesto is serious. It has said that if the Congress forms the government, everyone’s assets will be investigated. They will calculate the gold that belongs to their mothers and sisters and redistribute it. won’t even spare you mangalsutra”Modi Said His audience in Rajasthan.a mangalsutra is necklace It is given to Indian brides by their new husbands on their wedding day.
A Mangalsutra necklace is on display at the upscale Mall of Travancore in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. (Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“Do you accept this? Does the government have the right to seize your property? Gold is not for show off. It goes to a woman’s self-esteem. She mangalsutra Connected to her dreams. Do you want to steal it? ” asked Mr. Modi.
Referring to Singh’s 2006 speech, Mr. Modi continued:
Previously, when their government was in power, they had stated that Muslims had the first right to the country’s assets. This means to whom this property will be distributed. distributed among people with more children. It is distributed to intruders. Should you give your hard-earned money to an infiltrator? Do you approve this?
Prime Minister Modi criticized the views of the Congress party. manifestoWhile the party has carefully avoided supporting overt wealth confiscation and redistribution, which it has accused of conspiring against, it has said that it is “through appropriate changes in policy that we are committed to increasing wealth and income inequality.” It promises to “address the issue” and “strengthen the affirmative action agenda.”
On the other hand, Nationalist Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, did In a speech in early April, he appeared to support redistribution of wealth. He promised that if his party wins power, it will “take on the historic task of distributing India’s wealth, jobs and other welfare systems” to different castes and groups “based on population.” .
Prime Minister Modi concluded his fiery speech with this. saying The Congress was “under the control of urban Naxals”.
Naxals are Maoist communists who have waged a guerrilla war against the Indian government for decades.indian police killed On April 16, 29 of them stormed one of the remote camps, an operation that became politically charged after a National Congress lawmaker called the slain Maoists “martyrs.” It became a hot topic.
In this April 13, 2007 photo, Maoist rebels, or Naxalites, formally known as the Communist Party of India (Maoists), conduct exercises at a temporary base in the Abuj Mar forest in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh. I am. (AP Photo/Mustafa Quraishi, File)
Congress has accused Prime Minister Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party of using anti-Naxal raids for political gain and unfairly linking their party with Maoists, with the prime minister not including Naxals in his speeches. And very deliberately twisted them.
Mr. Modi’s speech sparked outrage in Congress, which once again demanded clarification on Mr. Singh’s 2006 remarks, accusing Mr. Modi of dividing Indian society in a desperate bid to win more votes. criticized.
“Not only the country but the whole world knows about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s lies. The way he spreads lies about Congress’s ‘Nyay Patra’ and former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is an example of dirty politics,” Akhilesh said.・Mr. Yadav said. Member of the Indian Opposition Alliance.
Nationalist Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge accused Prime Minister Modi of delivering “hate speech” and dangerously stirring up anti-Muslim fear.
“No prime minister in India’s history has degraded his position as much as Mr. Modi,” Kharge said.
in parliament on Monday It has been submitted complaint The Election Commission of India accused Mr. Modi of violating election laws by encouraging people to vote based on their “religion,” “community” or “religious symbols.”
parliamentary complaint accused Prime Minister Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party have repeatedly used religion in their election campaigns with impunity, despite “blatant violations of election laws”. The Election Commission declined to comment on the status of the complaint in response to questions from reporters.
BJP officials countered that Mr. Modi was taken out of context when he spoke of “infiltrators” rather than all Muslims, criticizing fraud and illegal immigrants. The BJP has accused the Congress of coddling illegal immigrants and said Mr. Modi honestly echoes the sentiments of India’s disaffected majority.
Mr Modi’s party also said that his policies had brought prosperity to all Indians, but that the Congress’ plan would push India back into poverty and social division.
Prime Minister Modi himself doubled down after the uproar. repeat His lines about Congress trying to steal a wedding necklace at a subsequent rally and derogatorily calling Rahul Gandhi a spoiled “prince”.
