Oppn finding new ways to restrict Muslim women: Modi amid hijab row

Amid a raging controversy over the wearing of hijab by Muslim women in educational institutions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reached out to the community by claiming that while the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has been working towards preventing crimes against Muslim women, the Opposition has been a deterrent in their path of progress.

Addressing his first physical rally in UP’s Saharanpur, Modi said the BJP government has brought in several reforms for Muslim women like banning the practice of triple talaq, but the Opposition continues to derail these efforts.

“But when the Opposition parties saw our Muslim sisters praising Modi, they felt they had to stop them…To stop them, they have been coming up with new ways to stand in the way of their rights and aspirations,” Modi said without making any direct reference to the hijab row.

Accusing the Opposition of “misleading” Muslim women, Modi said, “those people are tricking Muslim sisters so that the life of Muslim daughters is always behind.”

Taking a swipe at the Samajwadi Party, Modi said a BJP government was “necessary” for Uttar Pradesh to keep it free from riots, keep women safe and criminals in jail.

Attacking rivals, Modi also said that vaccines would be sold on streets if “dynastic parties” were in power in UP.

“People have decided to vote for those who develop UP. Those who keep UP riots-free, those who keep our mothers and daughters free of fear, those who keep criminals in jail, people will vote for them,” Modi said.

Modi criticised “ghor- parivarvadi log” and claimed that if they had been in power, “vaccines would be sold on the way and you would be forced to play a game of life and death with COVID”.

He also referred to riots in Muzaffarnagar and Saharanpur and labelled the Samajwadi Party as “dangawadi”, or riot-backers.

“Don’t think for a moment that these dangawadis have reformed. They are just waiting for a chance. The rioters of Saharanpur were welcomed by these mafia-like people. Across western UP they are backing rioters. These people want to take revenge against the people of UP. Those who were cursing rioters earlier are now standing with the same rioters,” Modi said.

Cheered by a huge crowd, the PM heaped accusations on Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav and his ally Jayant Chaudhary of the Rashtriya Lok Dal, without naming them.

“Earlier governments had no vision because of parivarvaad (nepotism). They could not see or think beyond family. They did not worry about you but only ran everything via mafias. We bring permanent solutions and want every citizen to live with self-respect,” he said.

“I see how one dynastic party is making fake promises, one after the other. They know the people of UP remember their old misdeeds. Power is not in their destiny. That is why they are making all sorts of promises . What do they care? They are not coming to power ever, so they can make any promises. Such big promises are mostly hollow. Never forget what they did when they were in power,” he said.

He also reached out to Muslim voters, highlighting his government’s steps like the ban on triple talaq, and said Yogi Adityanath’s government was essential to keep the reforms going.

In the first phase of the UP election on Thursday, voting took place in 58 constituencies in the western part of the state.