PM Modis' remarks in Rajasthan spark political storm | Latest news India

A massive political row erupted on Monday when opposition leaders from all parties, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for comments he made on Sunday during a public gathering, suggesting that Congress intended to redistribute public wealth to Muslims.

Kharge termed Modi's comments as hate speech and said he had undermined the dignity of political discourse. Follow complete coverage of the Lok Sabha elections here.

The Congress complaint highlighted a part of Modis' speech in which he said: When they (Congress) were in power earlier, they said that Muslims had the first right to the country's resources. So who will they redistribute the resources to? Those who have more children. Those who are infiltrators. Will your hard-earned money be given to the infiltrators? Will you accept this? The Congress manifesto says they will take stock of the gold our mothers and sisters have and then redistribute that wealth. And distribute it to those who, according to the Manmohan Singh government, have the first right to Muslim resources. This is the thought of Urban Naxal, and mothers and sisters, they will not even spare your Mangalsutra. They will stoop to this level.

Today Modi Ji's panic speech showed that INDIA is winning in the first phase results. What Modi ji said is not just hate speech but also a well thought out ploy to divert attention… The 140 million people of the country will no longer fall prey to this lie. Our manifesto is for every Indian. He talks about equality for all. He talks about justice for all. The judicial power of Congress rests on the foundation of truth, but it seems that the throne of the dictator in the person of Goebbels is now shaking. In Indian history, no prime minister has lowered the dignity of his office as much as Modiji, Kharge said on X.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) declined to comment on Modis' speech, which the Congress says violates several sections of the Indian Penal Code as well as the Model Code of Conduct, and has sparked a wave of complaints to the election panel.

Modi himself struck a more conciliatory note on Monday in Aligarh, and said: The Shahzade (prince) of the Congress says that if his government comes, he will investigate who earns how much and how much property he owns. Moreover, he further claims that the government will take back the property and redistribute it. This is what their electoral platform says.

However, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while addressing a rally in Kanker, Chhattisgarh, reiterated Modi's comments on Sunday, harshly targeting the Congress. Congress affirms that the first right to resources belongs to minorities; we say the first right belongs to the poor, the tribals and the Dalits, he said, according to a statement from his office.

Read also | Fact-Check: Did Manmohan Singh defend the 'first right' to resources for Muslims, as PM Modi claims?

On Monday, a Congress delegation, led by Manu Abhishek Singhvi, told the ECI that Modi's speech was illegal and accused the BJP of repeatedly using religious iconography in its Lok Sabha campaign.

BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said, “His remarks resonated with people because for India's opposition bloc, those who entered the country illegally are more important than citizens if they are Muslims. The opposition is suffering because Modi has shown it the mirror of its past, he said.

According to the Model Code of Conduct, a voluntary set of guidelines that all political parties have adhered to during the election season since 1960, no party or candidate should participate in any activity likely to aggravate existing differences, create mutual hatred or to cause tension between them. different castes and communities, religious or linguistic.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saket Gokhale called Modi's remarks hateful and divisive against the Muslim community and urged people to lodge complaints against the speech with Indian election authorities. This is your chance to use your voice and play your part in this election beyond just voting. 1 short email. 1000 Indians. They cannot ignore your collective voices, he said.

Read also | Naked and communal appeal: Shashi Tharoor slams PM Modi's wealth to infiltrators' remarks

The CPI(M) also urged individuals to send a letter saying: You (CEC) will agree that Shri Narendra Modi's latest speech is aimed at creating tension and enmity between Hindus and Muslims and urging Hindus to consider Muslims as infiltrators and their enemies. . This is a blatant violation of the MCC. We therefore request you to censure Shri Narendra Modi and ban his campaign as it risks tearing apart the social fabric of India.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav asked the Prime Minister to focus on real issues. Addressing the media in Patna on Monday, he said: With folded hands, I appeal to him to abandon the politics of hatred and speak out about the issues. The youth of the country, the elderly, traders, farmers, women, all sections of the country have only one problem: poverty, inflation, unemployment and a poor economy. This is the real problem.

Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav slammed PM Modi, saying, “Not only the country, but the whole world also knows about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's lies, the way he spread lies about Congress Nyay Patra and former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is an example of filth. .

Indian Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen President Asaduddin Owaisi wrote on X that Modi today called Muslims infiltrators and people with many children. Since 2002 till today, Modi's only guarantee has been to mistreat Muslims and get votes. If we talk about the country's wealth, we should know that under Modi's rule, the first right to India's wealth went to his rich friends. 1% of Indians own 40% of the country's wealth. Ordinary Hindus are made to fear Muslims while their wealth is used to enrich others.

In a speech at a meeting of the National Development Council in December 2006, former Prime Minister Singh had said: “We will have to come up with innovative plans to ensure that minorities, particularly the Muslim minority, are empowered to share fairly the fruits of development. They must have first rights to our resources.