The Opposition on Monday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “never uttered a word against minorities” remark, saying he is “lying” as he is “unleashing hate speech” against Muslims from every available forum.
Modi had stated he has never uttered a word against minorities, and the BJP has “not just today but never” acted against them. He, however, made it clear that he is not ready to accept anyone as “special citizens”.
BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said what the PM has said is the truth and all his policies for the poor have benefitted all. He also said the Congress has constantly violated the secular spirit of the Constitution, and his campaign speeches are aimed at exposing the opposition parties’ bid to appease the minorities with vote bank politics.Reacting to the prime minister’s remarks, CPI general secretary D Raja said, “It is completely lie. Modi knows how they (BJP) have been talking about Muslims. Who spoke about mangalsutra, mothers giving births to more children? Muslims and other minorities have been disrespected and deprived of many of their due rights.”
The BJP-RSS have been pursuing a “sinister design” of undermining the minorities and ridiculing them, Raja alleged.
While TMC MP Sagarika Ghose also slammed the prime minister for his remarks, AAP MP Sanjay Singh said the prime minister’s comments were laughable as he talks in the “language of hate daily”.
“When you think he cannot lie anymore, he speaks another lie... This is the party which garlanded the rapists of Bilkis Bano, this is the party which garlanded those who lynched a Muslim cattle trader. Modi himself speaks of ‘shamshan, kabristan’, (UP Chief Minister) Yogi (Adityanath) speaks of 80/20,” she said.
“Not only Hindus and Muslims, he makes Hindus fight with each other as well. First make Hindus fight with Muslims, then make Hindus fight with Sikhs, then with Christians, then make them fight Buddhists, make Marathas fight non-Marathas, make Dalits fight backwards... This is Bharatiya ‘jhagda’ party and this is their job,” Sanjay Singh said.
DMK spokesperson T K S Elangovan also hit out at the prime minister, saying this is the problem with Modi “that his lie starts getting exposed immediately”. “Whatever he says, his government does something that makes it a lie. So people do not believe him,” the DMK leader said.