The Congress party has labelled Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent statements on Indian Muslims as hate speech and said that they were a deliberate attempt to deflect attention from the initial phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. According to the Congress, Modi's remarks indicated a sense of "panic" and "disappointment" within the ruling party.
“Today Modi ji's panic-filled speech showed that INDIA is winning in the first phase results. What Modi ji said is not only a hate speech but also a well thought out ploy to divert attention. Today, the Prime Minister did what he has learnt from the values of the Sangh. Lying for power, making baseless references to things and making false accusations on opponents is the speciality of the training of RSS and BJP,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said in a post on social media on Sunday, April 21.
During a rally in Rajasthan's Banswara on April 21, Modi accused the Congress of intending to distribute citizens' hard-earned money and possessions to "infiltrators" and “those who have many children.” He claimed that the Congress manifesto included provisions for assessing the "gold of mothers and sisters" and redistributing this wealth. Modi alleged that the previous Manmohan Singh-led government had asserted that Muslims should have first access to the nation's assets.
In response, the Congress said that its manifesto did not refer to religious identities such as Muslim or Hindu. Instead, it focussed on principles of equality and justice for all citizens. The Congress also dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to show a single paragraph in its manifesto where it talked about redistributing wealth to the Muslim community.
Kharge further said that no Prime Minister, in the history of India, had lowered the dignity of his post as much as Modi. “The 140 crore people of the country are no longer going to fall prey to this lie. Our manifesto is for every Indian. It talks about equality for all. It talks about justice for all. The judiciary of the Congress is based on the foundation of truth, but it seems that the throne of the dictator in the form of Goebbels is now shaking,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi also hit out at the Prime Minister for his speech, saying, “The level of the lies of Narendra Modi has fallen so much after facing disappointment in the first phase of elections… that out of fear he now wants to divert people’s attention from issues. Trends have started coming in regarding the immense support the Congress’s revolutionary manifesto is receiving.”