'Congress wants to snatch your assets, paternal house': PM Modi at Aligarh rally

Reiterating his controversial remarks made in Rajasthan a day earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (April 22) accused the Congress of planning to redistribute people’s property if it is voted to power.

Addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh, Modi said that the Congress was planning to conduct a survey on people’s possessions and “snatch” them.

The prime minister had told a public meeting in Rajasthan on Sunday that Congress would give away the wealth of people to Muslims if it comes to power and cited former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remark that the minority community had the first claim on the country's resources. Modi’s remarks have triggered a political slugfest with Congress condemning him and accusing him of resorting to “hate speech”.

Unfazed by criticism

Undeterred by the criticism, Modi on Monday took the same line to attack the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh, while throwing in a few words of solace for the Muslim community.

“Congress and its allies have an eye on your income and assets. The Congress' ‘Shehzada’ says that if his government is formed, they will find out what all you have. It will be probed and all these assets will be taken under government control and distributed,” Modi said taking a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

“Congress mentioned this in their manifesto. Women have gold not only for wearing in the form of jewellery, but it is ‘streedhan’ and protected by law. They want to amend law to snatch asset and mangalsutra of our mothers and sisters,” he said.

“Your paternal house in the village and city will be snatched and the person not having will be given. This is communist and Maoist thinking. Congress and INDI alliance want to implement it here...Congress wants to place panja (paw) on your wealth…your assets will not be safe, says Congress,” the prime minister said.

Dig at Rahul, Akhilesh

Modi said the people of Aligarh had put a “lock” on dynastic politics, corruption and “appeasement” practised by the two “shahezade”, or princes. He was referring to Rahul and SP president Akhilesh Yadav, who are fighting the Lok Sabha elections as allies.

He accused the Congress of following a policy of appeasement, and yet doing nothing to uplift the social and economic condition of Muslims.

Muslim outreach

In an attempt to reach out to the Muslim community, Modi said his government’s move to enact a law against triple talaq helped in the emancipation of Muslim women.

“Parties like Congress and SP have always done appeasement politics and have never done anything for the political, social and economic upliftment of Muslims.” He also mentioned the increase in the Haj quota for Indian pilgrims.

“Earlier, due to less Haj quota, there used to be a lot of fighting and bribery was also prevalent there and only the influential people would get the chance to go to Haj. The government also allowed women to go for Haj without Mehram and I am being blessed by thousands of sisters whose dream of going for Haj has been fulfilled," he said.

(With agency inputs)