Congress trying to divide Hindus, says PM, asks if party wants to curtail rights of Muslims

Jagdalpur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday slammed the Congress over its pitch for a nationwide caste census and accused the grand old party of trying to divide Hindus, and sought to know if it wants to curtail the rights of Muslims by advocating population-based distribution of resources.

Modi said for him the poor formed the biggest chunk of population in the country and they should have the first right over resources irrespective of which caste or community they belong to, and accused the Congress of dividing society on caste lines for vote bank politics.

The PM's statements came a day after the Nitish Kumar government released a caste survey, which revealed OBCs and EBCs constitute a whopping 63 per cent of Bihar's total population. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, whose party is a constituent of the ruling bloc in the northern state, hailed the Bihar caste survey, saying the country needs a caste-based census to give people their rights as per their proportion in population.

Addressing the 'Parivartan Mahasankalp' rally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at Jagdalpur, the headquarters of Bastar district in poll-bound Chhattisgarh, Modi alleged the Congress has entered into a "secret pact" with a foreign country and takes pleasure in speaking against India, and asked people to remain alert.

He said the country's oldest party was being run not by its leaders but by some "behind the curtain" elements who are in nexus with anti-national forces.

"Since yesterday (Monday), the Congress has started speaking in a different tune. Congress leaders say the 'abadi' (population) of people will decide the rights (on resources), but for Modi, poor people are the biggest 'abadi' of the country and they have the first right over resources. Welfare of the poor is my aim," he said.

The BJP's star campaigner referred to a 2006 statement of then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh advocating that plans for minorities, particularly Muslims, must have the "first claim" on resources.

"I was wondering what would former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ji be thinking? Manmohan Singh ji used to say minorities have the first right over resources of the country and that too the Muslims. But now the Congress is saying proportion in population will decide who will get how much share of rights. It means do they want to curtail the rights of Muslims?" he asked.

Whose population is more? Modi asked, and said will it be possible to ensure distribution of the rights according to social groups' share in demographic mix.

"If they want to divide the rights on the basis of population, then who will have the first right (over resources)? Whose population is more? Congress leaders should clarify whether the rights will be given according to share in population. Whether the Congress wants to take away the rights of minorities? Should Hindus, who have the biggest population in the country, come forward and claim all the rights?” he said.

Attacking the Mallikarjun Kharge-led party, the PM said the national outfit wants to destroy India by dividing the Hindus.

"I have been saying for a long time that the Congress is no longer being run by Congress people. Big leaders of the Congress are sitting with their mouth shut. Now those people are running the Congress from behind the curtain who are in nexus with anti-national forces. The Congress wants to destroy India by dividing the Hindus at any cost and wants to divide the poor also. For me, the poor are the biggest community in the country. Welfare of the poor means welfare of the country," Modi said.

Continuing his attack on the Congress, a key constituent of the opposition INDIA bloc, the PM said the 138-year-old party takes pleasure in speaking against the country.

"What secret pact the Congress has entered into with some other country it has not disclosed so far. But people are watching that the Congress takes pleasure in speaking against India. It presents the good things of India in a bad light and enjoys it. It seems their love for the country has declined," he said and asked people to remain alert of them.

The poor of India have the first right on its resources, whether they are Dalits, tribals or are from backward classes or general category, said the Prime Minister.

"The Congress has only given poverty to the country and divided society on caste lines in a bid to secure its vote bank. The party has been indulging in the same act today, too. They have been putting behind bars those who have been raising their voices for their rights in Chhattisgarh. On the other hand, the BJP is dedicated towards social justice," he stated.

The Prime Minister targeted the Congress government in Chhattisgarh and said corruption is at its peak and it features among states which lead in crimes, including murder cases.

“Sometimes it seems there is a competition between Rajasthan (also ruled by Congress) and Chhattisgarh as to where the maximum number of crimes takes place. Development in Chhattisgarh is only visible either in posts and banners or in the coffers of Congress leaders,” he said.

Modi said the Congress has a track record of looting natural resources of Chhattisgarh and vowed he will not allow the ruling party to usurp the Nagarnar steel plant located in Jagdalpur.

"The Congress is trying to usurp the Nagarnar steel plant by spreading lies. It is Modi's guarantee that this will not happen. Bastar's brother and sister are the owners of this steel plant. You have right on it. The Congress will not be given a change to encroach on it," Modi asserted.

The Congress on Tuesday observed a 'Bastar bandh' alleging the Centre is planning to privatise the Nagarnar steel plant.

Neither the Chhattisgarh CM nor his ministers attended the unveiling or foundation stone laying function of development projects on Tuesday, which shows they have no concern for welfare of the state, where assembly polls are due by the year-end, Modi said.

He accused the Congress of converting 'loktantra' (democracy) into 'lootantra' (corruption) and 'prajatantra' (democracy) into 'parivartantra' (dynasty).

Modi accused the Congress government of committing irregularities in recruitments by the state public service commission (PSC) and promised to send culprits to jail if the BJP came to power after the elections.

The PM said it is important for first-time voters to know about what was happening in the country before 2014 when newspaper carried news of big scams and corruption during the Congress-led UPA government.

"In 2014, the country dislodged the Congress from power and elected the BJP with full majority. Today, instead of scams, India's pride is discussed in the world," he said.