Modi harps back to pet peeve Nehru; asks if first PM was communal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tore into the opposition harping onto his favorite tradition of attacking ‘Nehru.’

Replying to the criticism over the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Modi today hit out at the Congress as he made references to Jawaharlal Nehru, Emergency, Partition, and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Talking about Nehru, Modi said that India’s first prime minister was in favour of protecting minorities in Pakistan.

“In 1950, the Nehru-Liaquat Agreement was signed for the protection of minorities living in India and Pakistan. Religious minorities were mentioned in this agreement. Nehru was such a big thinker, then why did he not include all the citizens there in the agreement instead of the minorities there?” Modi said.

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Nehru and Pakistan Prime Minister Liaquat Ali signed the pact in the backdrop of large-scale migration of people belonging to minority communities between the two countries after Partition. It promised that the two countries will take care of their respective religious minorities.

“Why did Nehru use minorities? He replied to this too, and I’d know you’d abandon him too, whenever the need arises. Nehru had written to Assam Chief Minister and I quote – ‘You’d have to differentiate between Hindu refugees and Muslim migrants.’ This is what Nehru wrote to Assam Chief Minister.

“I want to ask Congress, was Pandit Nehru communal? Did he want a Hindu Rashtra?” he asked.

Recalling 1984 Sikh riots, Modi took a dig at Congress saying a person who was associated with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots was made as chief minister. “Does a party that keeps talking about secularism not remember 1984 and the anti-Sikh violence. It was shameful. In addition, they did not make efforts to punish the guilty,” he added.

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(With inputs from agencies)