Bhubaneswar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that he has never spoken a single word against minorities and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not only today but has never been against minorities. The Prime Minister, however, clarified that he is not ready to accept anyone as a ‘special citizen’. Modi said these things in an interview with ‘PTI Video’ on Sunday night. Amidst the opposition’s allegations that his election speeches are divisive and polarizing, the Prime Minister’s comments are being considered as the clearest statement so far regarding minorities.
The Prime Minister alleged that Congress has disregarded the secular fabric of the Constitution. He said that the purpose of his speeches during the election campaign is to expose the vote bank politics as well as the efforts of the opposition parties to appease the minorities.
During the interview, when Modi was asked about the apprehensions created among the minorities due to his statements, he said, “I have not spoken a single word against the minorities. I am only speaking against the vote bank politics of Congress. Congress is working against the Constitution, this is what I have been saying.” Modi said that the makers of the Indian Constitution, including Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar and Jawaharlal Nehru, had decided that there would be no reservation on the basis of religion.
He said, “Now you are turning away from him. It is my responsibility to disclose them. At that time there was no member of my party in the Constituent Assembly. It was a gathering of outstanding people from across the country.” When the Prime Minister was once again asked whether minorities were never targeted in his election speeches, he said, “BJP has never been against minorities. Not just today, but never.” He alleged that Congress follows the path of appeasement. The Prime Minister said, “They follow the path of appeasement, I follow the path of satisfaction.”
He said, “Their politics is of appeasement, my politics is of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’. We believe in ‘Equality of all religions’. We want to take everyone with us. “We are not ready to accept anyone as a special citizen, but consider everyone equal.” The Prime Minister was also asked whether he really thought that if Congress came to power, it would give the property of Hindus to Muslims or it was just a statement made for publicity.
On this Modi said, “It is not just a question of me thinking this way. It is a sin to preach without any argument. I have never committed such a sin nor would I want to commit it. They (the opposition) have run such illogical campaigns.” The Prime Minister admitted that on the day the Congress manifesto was released, he had said that it had the imprint of the Muslim League. He said, “The Congress party should have refuted my statement on the same day and said, ‘Modi ji, this is not right’.”
Modi claimed that the Congress manifesto promised reservation for minorities in awarding contracts. He said, “If you want to build a bridge then who will bid to get the contract? Someone with resources, expertise, technology. But if you want to bring reservation there also, then what will happen to the development of my country?” Congress leaders have accused Modi of distorting their manifesto out of context. Modi referred to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement given at a National Development Council conference in 2006 that Muslims have the first right on the country’s resources.
The Prime Minister also mentioned the Congress-led state government’s decision to bring all Muslims in Karnataka under the Other Backward Class (OBC) reservation category. He said, “They looted OBC reservation.” Modi said, “I believe that these people have destroyed the spirit of secularism in our Constitution for their electoral politics. I want to restore that spirit of the Constitution. Therefore, it is necessary to expose the wrists of these people.”