On April 21, during a rally in Rajasthan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing criticism of the Congress party’s manifesto; previously, he had compared it with that of the Muslim League. He revisited former PM Manmohan Singh’s statement about minorities’ first claim on the country’s resources.
PM Modi’s recent remarks ignited a verbal clash between the BJP and the Congress. He warned that if the Congress assumes power, they would redistribute the nation’s wealth to “those with larger families.”
“In their manifesto, the Congress proposes assessing gold possessions of mothers and sisters to distribute it accordingly. Manmohan Singh’s administration asserted that Muslims hold primary entitlement to the nation’s assets,” PM Modi stated during a rally in Banswara.
“Previously, when the Congress ruled, they prioritised Muslims’ claim to the nation’s assets. This implies the redistribution targets those with larger families, essentially favouring infiltrators. Do you consent to your hard-earned money going to infiltrators? Is this acceptable?” The Prime Minister further highlighted that if the Congress were to win, they would seize and redistribute gold and earnings to “illegal immigrants,” questioning the populace if they find this acceptable.
What does Nyaya Patra offers to Minorities?
Even more perplexing is the assertion that “Congress will ensure that minorities have the freedom of choice of dress, food, language, and personal laws,” reminiscent of Congress’s controversial 1986 Shah Bano case. This implies that minorities are oppressed under the Modi government, despite enjoying full rights to dress, food, language, and personal laws. The manifesto overtly caters to its active Muslim and Christian vote-banks and aligns with an international anti-Modi agenda that falsely claims a “climate of fear, intimidation, and hatred” in India. However, the reality is that minority appeasement is deeply entrenched in the political ecosystem, with all parties paying homage to it in various forms.
Their manifesto outlines the following commitments:
- Congress pledged to uphold and safeguard the fundamental right to practice one’s faith and the rights guaranteed to religious minorities under Articles 15, 16, 25, 26, 28, 29, and 30 of the Constitution.
- It will also uphold the rights of linguistic minorities as guaranteed under Articles 15, 16, 29, and 30 of the Constitution.
- It will actively support and facilitate students and youth from minority communities to fully utilise the expanding opportunities in education, employment, business, services, sports, arts, and other domains.
- It will reinstate the Maulana Azad Scholarships for overseas study and increase the number of scholarships available.
- Congress says Economic empowerment of minorities is crucial for India’s holistic development. We will ensure that banks extend institutional credit to minorities without discrimination.
- Congress will guarantee that minorities, like all citizens, have the freedom to choose their attire, food, language, and personal laws.
- They will actively support the reform of personal laws, ensuring that such reforms are conducted with the participation and consent of the respective communities.
- Congress pledges to address the longstanding demand for the inclusion of additional languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
- To combat dropout rates, Congress pledges to reinstate, increase, and fully fund pre-matric and higher education scholarships for disadvantaged groups, including SC, ST, OBC, EWS, denotified tribes, and minorities.
- Additionally, they commit to revitalising the Education Loan program for college students, originally implemented under the UPA government, and mandate banks to offer collateral-free education loans of up to Rs 7.5 lakhs, particularly for students from SC, ST, OBC, EWS, and minority backgrounds.
- They vow to fortify the autonomy of key institutions such as the Election Commission of India, the Central Information Commission, the Human Rights Commission, the Comptroller and Auditor General’s office, and commissions for SC, ST, minorities, and OBC.
- They pledge to appoint more women and individuals from SC, ST, OBC, and minority communities as judges in the High Courts and Supreme Court.
- Furthermore, they will take decisive action against hate speeches, hate crimes, and communal conflicts, targeting the perpetrators and their backers as per legal provisions, citing the rise in crimes against women, SC, ST, and minorities based on NCRB data.
Other bizarre promises in manifesto
It’s important to note that the Congress party’s manifesto, titled “Nyaya Patra,” stands in stark contrast to BJP’s ‘Modi ki Gurantree’. Instead of focusing on economic development, it aims to entice voters with promises of freebies. The manifesto pledges to legislate minimum support prices (MSP) for farmers, despite the Modi government already implementing MSP packages that are 100 percent higher than those of the Congress regime.
It also pledges to provide Rs 100,000 to impoverished women without clarifying the criteria for poverty or the financial implications, even as the Modi government has lifted a significant 250 million people out of poverty.
Additionally, the Congress vows to conduct a caste census, further fragmenting Hindu society, despite PM Modi’s welfare initiatives predominantly benefiting these very groups. It seeks to reintroduce paper ballots for elections, reminiscent of the lawless elections of the 1970s-80s marked by rigging by criminal elements affiliated with political parties, leading to the infamous “criminalisation of politics” era.
The Congress appears influenced by Western terminology like DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), liberally sprinkling catchwords like equity and justice to appeal to the elite seeking validation from the West. It proposes establishing a Diversity Commission for social inclusion, even though PM Modi’s government has already implemented extensive social inclusion and welfare programs for all segments of society. This suggests that the Congress believes Indian voters lack an understanding of justice, equity, and inclusion and positions itself as the savior of the uninformed.
Manmohan Singh’s ‘minority’ remark
PM Modi’s reference to the previous government was about a statement made by then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2006.
Former PM Manmohan Singh, in his address on December 9, 2006, notably stated, “We must devise innovative plans to ensure that minorities, particularly the Muslim minority, are empowered to equitably share in the benefits of development. They should have the primary access to resources.”
“We will have to devise innovative plans to ensure that minorities, particularly the Muslim minority, are empowered to share equitably in the fruits of development. They must have the first claim on resources.”
– Dr Manmohan Singh, 9th Dec, 2006
The Congress doesn’t trust their… https://t.co/MWAf8uP23N pic.twitter.com/EDAKfasXT8
— BJP (@BJP4India) April 21, 2024
However, Congress has refuted these assertions, stating that their manifesto does not contain such a commitment.
Responding to Narendra Modi’s comments, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the Prime Minister’s diminishing credibility, suggesting that he is resorting to diversion tactics due to fear.
“After the disappointing results of the initial voting phase, Narendra Modi’s credibility has plummeted to such an extent that he is now attempting to deflect public attention from the real issues. The growing support for Congress’s ‘Revolutionary Manifesto’ is becoming evident. The nation will now cast its vote based on its concerns—employment, family, and future,” Rahul Gandhi expressed on X.
