Taking a dig at the Congress’ promise to address the inequality of wealth and income in its manifesto for the Lok Sabha election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the Congress, if elected to power at the Centre, would distribute people’s property, land and gold among Muslims. “The Congress has [already] declared that Muslims have the first right to the country’s resources,” Mr. Modi said.
Mr. Modi addressed public meetings in support of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates in Rajasthan’s Jalore and Banswara constituencies, both of which will go to the polls in the second phase on April 26. While BJP State executive member Lumbaram Choudhary is the party’s nominee in Jalore, the party has fielded Congress turncoat and veteran tribal leader Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya from Banswara.
Mr. Modi said the Congress had announced that it would conduct a survey to find out the property of individuals, gold owned by women, silver mostly owned by tribal families, and land and cash belonging to government employees and others, and redistribute it. “Can you tolerate the government snatching your hard-earned money and property?” he asked.
While the Congress manifesto has promised to make “suitable changes in policies” to address the growing inequality of wealth and income, party leader Rahul Gandhi said in Hyderabad earlier this month that the Congress, if voted to power, would carry out a financial and institutional survey, after the caste census, to ascertain the distribution of wealth among the people in the country.
Mr. Modi said the then Congress Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had stated in 2006 that Muslims had the first claim on the country’s resources. “That means the property will be distributed among those who have a large number of children… and among the intruders. Is it acceptable to you?” he asked.
The Prime Minister said the “urban Naxal” ideology of Congress would even deprive the women of their auspicious mangal sutra. “Gold jewellery of my mothers and sisters is not just for show. It is a matter of their self-respect. Congress has stooped to such a level. How can you tolerate your hard-earned money going in the hands of intruders?” Mr. Modi said.
Taking a swipe at the Congress-Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alliance in Delhi, Mr. Modi said the ‘shahi parivaar’ (royal family) of the Congress would not cast votes for its own party in the national capital for the first time. As the Congress has not fielded its candidate from the New Delhi Lok Sabha seat, Mr. Modi asked what right the party had to seek people’s votes elsewhere.
“In Banswara, Congress leaders are going door-to-door, asking people not to vote for their own party,” Mr. Modi said, in an oblique reference to the party’s candidate, Arvind Damor, refusing to withdraw his nomination after it decided to extend support to Bharat Adivasi Party candidate Rajkumar Roat. Mr. Damor’s presence in the fray has caused embarrassment to the Opposition Congress.
Mr. Modi said the nation was punishing the Congress for its “sins” as the party, which had once won 400 seats in Lok Sabha, was unable to find candidates and contest even 300 seats this time. The Congress had also been unable to find a single tribal person who could be the country’s President during the 60 years of its rule, he said.
Without naming former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Mr. Modi said those who were unable to contest and win an election had “fled the ground to take the Rajya Sabha route” from Rajasthan. Ms. Gandhi was recently elected as a Rajya Sabha Member from the State. Mr. Modi said former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was also elected to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan, was ill for a long time and never seen in the State.
The Prime Miniter said the BJP was working with utmost sincerity and commitment to uplift the underprivileged, while the Congress was trading in “fear, hunger and corruption”. “Congress has a history of intimidating Dalits, tribals and minorities and perpetuating a culture of fear and oppression,” he said, while appealing to the people to vote for BJP candidates.
