As India gets closer to the final three phases of elections, PM Narendra Modi dispels the notion of communal politics, mounts attacks on the Congress party and claims he would form the next government after June 4
Our Bureau
New Delhi/Mumbai
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday reiterated that he has never indulged in Hindu-Muslim politics and slammed the Opposition for engaging in appeasement politics adding that his speeches target parties undermining India’s secularism. PM Modi also asserted that he is targeting his opponents and not the Muslim community adding that there should be no discrimination in governance.
On being asked that the country has a secular administration, and hence, what’s the need to bring words like Mangalsutra, intruders, and more children in election rallies, PM Narendra Modi said, “I have never done Hindu-Muslim [politics] and will never do it. But if I say that triple talaq is wrong, then I am [labelled] ‘anti-Muslim’. If I’m labelled like this, then it is their [critics’] compulsion, not mine,” PM Modi said. The Prime Minister said that the Opposition completely followed a communal agenda and he “exposed it, blasted it, accused it.”
PM Modi further said, “The issue is that they have written in their manifesto that now they will bring minorities in the contract system. Contracts will be given to minorities. If I oppose the system, then I am doing that because of secularism. But just because I have to use the term minority and ‘Muslim’, then it is taken as if I am attacking the minorities.”
Explaining his point, PM Modi said that he is attacking the political parties and not the Muslims. “I am not attacking them (Muslims), I am attacking those political parties who are destroying the secularism of India, who are doing politics of appeasement, who are destroying the sentiments of the Constitution of the country…,” he said.
In his message to the Muslim voters, the PM claimed that the opposition has been fooling the community for the last 75 years. “I am explaining to the Muslims that they are fooling you, they have been fooling you for 75 years, why are you being fooled?”
When asked if he thinks that Muslims would vote for the BJP, PM Modi said, “Will you do everything for votes? Will you do nothing for the country? Will you do it to get power? I am against it. Whatever I do, I will do it for the country. Votes are by-products. You cannot sink the country for votes and I do not want such power. I don’t accept such power which destroys my country.”
Also, slamming Congress and the Gandhi family over amending the Constitution during their tenure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that till the time he is alive, he won’t allow anyone to play with the basic fundamentals of the Constitution. Prime Minister Modi said that four members of the Gandhi family- former Prime Ministers Jawahar Lal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi fiddled with the Constitution for their own political goals.
When asked in an interview on the Opposition claims that the Constitution will be rewritten if BJP is voted to power, Prime Minister Modi said, “The question that should be asked- who was the first to play with the Constitution? Pandit Nehru did. He brought the first amendment which was meant to restrict freedom of speech. His daughter (Indira Gandhi) then overturned the court verdict by bringing an amendment. Then her son (Rajiv Gandhi) came and overturned Shah Bano’s verdict. He changed the Constitution.”
“He brought a law to restrict media. The opposition was strong, and the media was also growing strong. they said they will not allow the imposition of another emergency. this scared him and he had to withdraw,” he added.
He further slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for tearing apart a copy of the ordinance which was passed by the Union Cabinet in 2013. The ordinance was later withdrawn by Manmohan Singh led government.
“Then his son (Rahul Gandhi) came, a remote-control government was being run at that time, they had a PM of their choice. A Cabinet formed as per the Constitution took a decision, a Shehzada came and publicly tore apart the cabinet decision. Later Cabinet also overturned its decision,” he said.
PM Modi further assured that reservations based on religion will not be allowed under his tenure. “Four members of the same family destroyed the Constitution at different times. Until Modi is alive, I will not allow any change in the basic fundamentals of the Constitution. I won’t allow reservation based on religion, you already partitioned a country on the basis of religion,” he said.
Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that if the Bharatiya Janata Party wins the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and tries to change the Constitution, then the whole nation will be set on fire.
“If the BJP wins these match-fixed elections, and changes the Constitution, the whole country will be on fire. Remember this,” Gandhi said at an election rally in Delhi.
Meanwhile, stepping up the attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that after the announcement of Lok Sabha results on June 4, opposition’s INDIA bloc will get scattered “Khatakhat, Khatakhat, Khatakhat”.
Prime Minister’s response comes after Congress’ Rahul Gandhi’s earlier remarks that money will be credited to the bank accounts of women “Khatakat Khatakat…” after the formation of the INDIA bloc government. Prime Minister took a dig at Congress’ Rahul Gandhi for his earlier remarks that money will be credited to the bank accounts of women “Khatakat Khatakat…” after formation of INDIA bloc government.
Claiming that on June 4, the Modi government will assume power, the PM said, “Running the country is not possible for the children born with a silver spoon… They (Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi) can’t do this… After June 4, the Modi government will definitely form, but apart from this, several other things will also happen. INDI alliance will be broken and scattered.”
The PM also talked about making a ‘Viksit and Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and said, “I give you the guarantee that I will work to serve you day and night. My each and every second will be for you. We will make a ‘Viksit Bharat, Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and for that, the countrymen will work towards it. And I have full faith that you (the public) are with me. This is Modi’s guarantee that if you work for 10 hours, I will work for 18 hours. This is my guarantee to 140 crores of the people of India.”
Kejriwal pushes ‘Amit Shah will be PM’ claim
Our Bureau
Lucknow (UP)
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday repeated his earlier claim that Amit Shah will become the next prime minister after Narendra Modi turns 75 in 2025 and that PM Modi never said that he would not retire when he hits 75 next year.
“When I said these points (PM Modi will retire next year to make way for Union Home Minister Amit Shah) in a press conference in Delhi, Amit Shah and several leaders stated that PM Modi should not resign at 75 and he will be fulfilling his term. I respect their emotions towards their leader. However, PM Modi did not say that he will not retire after turning 75. This is his own rule and I have full hope that he will be following it,” Kejriwal said.
Addressing a joint press conference with INDIA bloc partner Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow today, the AAP leader said, “Otherwise, people will say that PM Modi made this rule to remove Advani.”
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief reiterated his claim that the Bharatiya Janata Party will be removing Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from his post to make way for Amit Shah to be the next Prime Minister since PM Modi will be retiring soon as per his party’s retirement norms.
“In 2014, PM Modi made a rule that if anyone in the party is 75 years old, he will not be allowed to hold any post in the party or the government and will be made to retire. Following this, Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi were made to retire…PM Modi will turn 75 on September 17, 2025. PM Modi has decided to make Amit Shah his successor and to make him Prime Minister on September 17, 2025. PM Modi is working on it for the last one-two years,” Kejriwal said.
