New Delhi: Even though Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nasty election speech in Rajasthan's Banswara has triggered a nationwide controversy, the Election Commission has so far not taken any action. Meanwhile the Opposition bloc INDIA called the speech an attempt to divert attention from "real issues".
Addressing the people Banswara, on April 21, (Sunday) Modi openly attacked India’s Muslims, suggesting they were “infiltrators” and went on to claim that the opposition if elected would give away “mangalsutras” and “land” of those listening to his speech to them (Muslims).
He referred to his immediate predecessor, Dr Manmohan Singh who was in office for 10 years as prime minister till 2014, and said, “Earlier, when his government was in power, he had said that Muslims have the first right on the country’s property, which means who will they collect this property and distribute it to – those who have more children, will distribute it to the infiltrators. Will the money of your hard work be given to the infiltrators? Do you approve of this?”
Modi went on to say, “This Congress manifesto is saying that they will calculate the gold of the mothers and sisters, get information about it and then distribute it. Manmohan Singh’s government had said that Muslims have the first right on property. Brothers and sisters, these urban Naxal thoughts will not let even your mangalsutra escape, they will go this far.”
Narendra Modi and the BJP so far in their campaign trail have invoked religious faith, the Ram temple and Lord Ram multiple times, directly using it to call for people to vote for them. The Election Commission has been completely silent on the messaging via videos, tweets and other exhortations.
Did Manmohan Singh really say that?
Modi’s claim that Dr Singh said that is not new and was refuted in 2006 itself by Singh’s PMO, when Modi had first made the false claim. The PMO had termed such remarks, “a deliberate and mischievous misinterpretation of what the Prime Minister said here yesterday at the meeting of the National Development Council, on fiscal priorities of the government.” It was termed “an avoidable controversy has been generated. The Prime Minister’s observations have also been quoted out of context in some sections of the electronic media, fuelling a baseless controversy.”
The full text of the paragraph in which the Prime Minister referred to the issue of minority empowerment to clarify the matter is as follows:
“I believe our collective priorities are clear: agriculture, irrigation and water resources, health, education, critical investment in rural infrastructure, and the essential public investment needs of general infrastructure, along with programmes for the upliftment of SC/STs, other backward classes, minorities and women and children. The component plans for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will need to be revitalized. 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. The Centre has a myriad other responsibilities whose demands will have to be fitted within the over-all resource availability.”
The PMO’s clarification said. “it will be seen from the above that the Prime Minister’s reference to “first claim on resources” refers to all the “priority” areas listed above, including programmes for the upliftment of SCs, STs, OBCs, women and children and minorities.
Opposition reacts
Chairman, Media and Publicity department of the Congress, Pawan Khera said in a video message in a post, “We challenge the Prime Minister to show us if the word Hindu or Muslim is written anywhere in our manifesto. This kind of lightness is there in your mentality, in your political values. We have talked about justice for the youth, women, farmers, tribals, middle class and workers. Do you object to this as well?”
Khera was referring to earlier mistruths uttered by Modi about the “Muslim League” having influenced the Congress manifesto.
In Jharkhand’s Ranchi at an opposition rally, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is reported to have said by BBC Hindi, “If democracy and the Constitution end in the country, then the people will have nothing left. Babasaheb Ambedkar ji and Jawaharlal Nehru ji gave equal voting rights to everyone, due to which all classes got respect. But Narendra Modi wants to snatch their rights from the poor.”
B.V. Srinivas termed it as unfortunate that “this person is the Prime Minister of this country, and an even bigger tragedy is that the Election Commission of India is no longer alive.” He said that “due to the frustration of impending defeat, the Prime Minister of India is openly sowing the seeds of hatred, he is polarising by misquoting Manmohan Singh’s 18-year-old incomplete statement, But the Election Commission (Modi ka parivar) is bowing down.”
Modi’s past hate-speech
Modi, in his 12-year tenure as chief minister of Gujarat was known to have made speeches targeting the state’s minority Muslim community brazenly, terming camps where Muslims were forced to stay in after communal violence gripped the state in 2002. Frontline covered him on his Gujarat Gaurav Yatra started shortly after the violence, at a rally at Becharaji in Mehsana district in northern Gujarat, when he said, “What should we do? Run relief camps for them? Do we want to open baby-producing centres? But for certain people that means hum paanch, hamare pachees.”
In 2017 it was time again for direct speech targeting Muslims when in February he spoke of ‘shamshaan versus kabristan’ campaigning for UP and then for Gujarat elections when the BJP had its worst performance this millennium, in a speech at Palanpur on December 10, 2017 Modi invoked a “secret meeting” to get Pakistan to fix Gujarat’s assembly polls. He said that a meeting was held at Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s residence, attended by former PM Manmohan Singh, former Vice-President Hamid Ansari, former Army Chief Deepak Kapoor and distinguished diplomats to execute the plot. Modi’s PMO faced embarrassment when in response to an RTI filed by the Congress, his office was forced to say that Modi’s campaign speech could have been based on an “informal input”.
In the only question he has answered as part of a press conference with Joe Biden on June 22, 2023, Modi was asked, “India has long prided itself as the world’s largest democracy, but there are many human rights groups who say that your government has discriminated against religious minorities and sought to silence its critics. As you stand here in the East Room of the White House, where so many world leaders have made commitments to protecting democracy, what steps are you and your government willing to take to improve the rights of Muslims and other minorities in your country and to uphold free speech?”
In response Modi appeared visibly frazzled and denied all charges. “I’m actually really surprised that people say so. And so, people don’t say it. Indeed, India is a democracy.”
The journalist was trolled online by BJP leaders and supporters to such an extent that the White House had to come out and defend her and strongly denounce the trolling and abuse.
Comments
Ms Shetty,
Question is not about the cancellation of his entry , our question is ADKS being in muslim country how could they even think of inviting such a hate monger and how they even call him a orator and nationalist. such people are termed as hate momgers.
If you dont Understand see the Comment #7Mohammad Abudhabi.
Why Kannada Sanga don't take Quick Action.
Vidya Shetty, could you please explain the ground reality....
As we all aware this is a first try from rss agent to know the impact. Last month they tried in a different way by inviting local ruled family for Hindu Religious function and the chief guest shown his respect and honour to all the gathering and to Hindu religious leader. We all know and understood, it is the humanity and respect to other religions who are residing in their country. But few acting committee members of this function are from rss communal group with their crooked mind and bad intention to create problems in between NRI community.
What qualified peace loving NRI citizens are in UAE for their better prospect and future are well aware of rss communal group and their intention - which NRI 's never allow to succeed. If it is backing by any tycoon or what ever else.
Jai Hind!
thanks Kannada sanga.. for not allowing sulibele.. plz don't make this kind of decision next time because here we all Indians are together.. don't destroy it
Ms.Shetty
It is not hatred, it is just the sheer frustration that is spilled out against the incident. He was very adamant & aloof in the beginning despite our
Kind requests & reminders. It has taken so much effort, energy and trauma to make him change his decision on so called \great orator & Nationalist\""
I really dont understand why these hate commenters are still behind the organisers when they have cancelled Chakravarty Sulibele's visit . I think those who are posting comments neither reading the article nor trying to understand the ground reality.
Those who tried to glorify Sulibele should apologize. In its invitation Kannada sangha portrayed Sulibele as Nationalist Thinker and great orator.
Dear Sarvotham Shetty,
When you know that Sulibele speaks Provocative speech than why even you thought to invite him. you just tried to promote him and Secular minded stopped it.
i'm sure again next year you will invite some other Sangh pariwar leader. this will continue same way if your role models are sanghpariwar scholars.
Sangha Dropped Sulibele from Function. But this action is not clearing our doubts. Need to closely monitor their all activities in UAE and India. Because, how they invited a communal hatemonger to UAE..?? Question is still remaining.. should informed to concerned authority.
It is a known fact that Mr Sarvottam Shetty has friendship with Sangh Parivar leaders. I feel there was Sangha's communal motive behind Soolibele's invitation. But he forgot the fact that he is in a Muslim country. He wouldn't have cancelled Soolibele's speech, had it been in India.
Rajyotsava Award for what ?? What good things he has done to karnataka? Except spreading hatred speeches he has done zero good things. His mind is communal. I appreciate the decision of kannada sangh for not inviting this anti social element.
Great Humiliation and tight slap on the face of Sulibele.
it is not the good will prevailed to Sarvothama,only pressure from all quarters of society forced him to take this decision . He learnt a good lesson. My request to him is -please treat all kannadigas equally with respect, irrespective of their caste,creed or religion.
Still i thank him for the decision taken.
Good, it shows the unity of Kannadigas...
Surprise is how they thought of inviting him despite he is well known for his attitude and quality. This means for kannada sanga he is a noble person.
Dubai janeka sapna adhoora rehgaya.. Naren Khan.. pelase apply visa to singapore to sulibele
We appriciate the step had taken by the organizers.... we are not against hindus we are against communal minded people who divide us in the name of religion for their own benifits... there are many able hindu personalities who has done good job to society call them as chief guest we are more than happy.... dont call such type of communal minded criminals to such a great event.... who will spoil the taste of the event
All Kannadigas requested Sarvothama Shetty to Stop Komuvadi Sulibele.. even
After that Sarvothama Shetty Published The Invitation
That's why all Kannadigas were Disappointed by Sarvothama Shetty.
Finally Good Decision By Kannada Sanga and Sarvothama Shetty.
Bold decision ...............................
as said by some Hindutwa Bhakths .....Indian Cows are only Go matha ....so when Sulibele come outside then his Air will go out
Dear Office bearers of ADKS, “I wholeheartedly appreciate your team for positively responding to the secular Kannadigas request of stopping Sulibele. It is a great gesture.
“By stopping provocative communal Sulibele, the ADKS has upheld the unity of all Kannadigas in UAE.
In future also when you select the speaker kindly review their back ground in order to avoid such embarrassment.
Why these organisations are not calling and fund Mr. Hajabba who is recognised by world? Why these organisations calls Sulibele, Kateel, Shenava and other Muslim haters for events?
Why don't they call Kanhaiya kumar? Why don't they call Odissa man who carried his wife's dead body for miles?
Sarvotham Shetty sir, you proved to be SARVOTHAM in ALL respect and saved the Kannada Sangha Abu Dhabi. Strong lesson to hatemongers and anti-social elements who earns their bread by dividing people on communal lines. B.R. Shetty sir - Please maintain distance from these elements - the love and respect you earned from all sections of Indians should not be allowed to be destroyed by few anti-humans. Long Live Kannada Sangha Abu Dhabi!!!
very good decission by Sangha... Person like Sulibele should not be allowed to enter for secular people's programme who loves peace & harmony among different community... Soolibele is worst person who think about divide & rule by giving hatred speeches against muslims & christians....
There are so many good thinkers in our state who are more eligible for guests... Soolibele is not even fit as a spectator.... Personally i appreciate decision of Sangha for cancelling his arrival....
All the best Sangha & office bearers & NRI ..
\Be United against peace breakers & hatred mongers\""
Thanks Kannada Sanga and Specilaly Sarothama Shetty for Right Decision -But Delay.
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