PM Modi reiterates ‘redistribution of wealth’ claim, justifies anti-Muslim rhetoric: “I put truth before country”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday reiterated his anti-Muslim rhetorics and accused that the Congress tried to extend reservation on the basis of religion and give it to Muslims and hatched a “deep conspiracy” to snatch people’s wealth and distribute it among “select” people.

Addressing a speech in Rajasthan’s Tonk-Sawai Madhopur earlier today, PM Modi attacked Muslims, India’s largest religious minorities and the Congress, saying the grand old party wanted to reduce the “SC-ST reservation and distribute it among the Muslims” when it was in power at the Union. Continuing his scathing attack on Congress, PM Modi also said that Congress was hatching a conspiracy to “snatch your property” and “distribute it among selected people.”

The prime minister said, “The day before yesterday in Rajasthan, I put forth some truth in front of the country, and the entire Congress and INDI alliance went into a panic. I put forth the truth that Congress is plotting to snatch your property and distribute it to their special people…When I exposed their politics, they got so angry that they started abusing Modi.” He continued with: “Congress hatching deep conspiracy to snatch your property, distribute it among selected people.”

“When the Constitution was drafted, reservation based on religion was opposed, so that SC, ST and OBC castes could get protection. Former PM Dr Manmohan Singh, in his speech, had said that Muslims have the first right on the country’s resources. This was Manmohan Singh’s statement. Congress’s thinking has always been of appeasement and vote bank politics. As soon as the Congress government came to power at the Centre in 2004, its first task was to try to provide reservation to Muslims by reducing SC/ST reservations in Andhra Pradesh. This was a pilot project that Congress wanted to try in the entire country. Between 2004 and 2010, Congress tried four times to implement Muslim reservations in Andhra Pradesh. However, due to legal hurdles and awareness of the Supreme Court, they could not fulfil his plans. In 2011, Congress tried to implement it across the country. They snatched the rights given to SC/ST and OBC and gave them to others for vote bank politics,” PM Modi said.

“…they [Congress] wanted to grant reservation to one section of the society by cutting into the quotas meant for Dalits and backward classes, which is completely against the Constitution. The reservation rights that Dr Babasaheb gave to Dalits, backward classes, and tribals, the Congress and the INDI Alliance wanted to give them to specific minorities based on religion,” PM Modi said.

PM Modi’s hateful remarks drew fierce condemnation from the opposition for peddling Islamophobia, and for breaking election rules which bar candidates from engaging in any activity that aggravates religious tensions. The Election Commission of India’s model code of conduct forbids candidates to “appeal to caste or communal feelings” to secure votes.

In a clear violation of the model code of conduct, Prime Minister and BJP’s star election campaigner Narendra Modi Sunday described Muslim minorities in India as “infiltrators” and “those who have more children.”

The Election commission of India declined to comment on the hate speech made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi against Muslims during BJP’s poll campaign in Rajasthan.

A spokesperson for the Election Commission (EC) said: “We decline comment.”