PM Modi’s comments at a public rally about the Congress party and more specifically about something former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said have caused a political storm. In his speech, the current PM of the country, reportedly claimed that Manmohan Singh’s government had promoted that property from Hindus should be distributed to Muslims.
He, according to reports, said that the current Congress manifesto also promised the same and that “Manmohan Singh’s government had said that Muslims had the first right to the nation’s resources.”
This resulted in a massive uproar from the Congress party denying the claims but beyond that fact checks also occurred on whether the former PM had actually said something like that or not.
What Did PM Modi Claim?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was speaking at a public event on 21st April in Rajasthan’s Banswara before the Lok Sabha elections when he brought up Congress, its manifesto and their past policies.
As per an Indian Express report he said “Pehle jab unki sarkar thi, unhone kaha tha ki desh ki sampati par pehla adhikar Musalmano ka hai. Iska matlab, ye sampati ikatthi karke kisko baatenge? Jinke zyada bacche hain, unko baatenge, ghuspaithiyon ko baatenge. Kya aapki mehnat ki kamayi ka paisa ghuspaithiyon ko diya jayega? Aapko manzoor hai yeh?
(Earlier, when they (the Congress) were in power, they had said Muslims have the first right to the wealth of the nation. This means they will distribute this wealth to those who have more children, to infiltrators. Should your hard-earned money be given to infiltrators? Do you agree to this)?”
He further added “Ye Congress ka manifesto keh raha hai, ki woh mataon aur beheno ke sone ka hisaab karenge, uski jarthi karenge, jaanakari lenge aur phir woh sampati ko baant denge. Aur unko baatenge, jinko Manmohan Singh ji ki sarkar ne kaha tha ki sampati par pehla adhikar Musalmanon ka hai. Bhaiyon aur behno, yeh Urban Naxal ki soch, meri mataon, behno, aapka mangal sutra bhi bachne nahi denge
(Congress’s manifesto says they will take stock of the gold mothers and daughters have, and will distribute that wealth. Manmohan Singh’s government had said Muslims have the first right to wealth. Brothers and sisters, this Urban Naxal thinking will not spare even the mangal sutras of my mothers and sisters).”
The controversial part comes in around the 28.45-minute mark of this video.
Read More: ResearchED: The Relationship Between The Indian Elections And Human Rights
What Did Manmohan Singh Actually Say?
The part about “Muslims had the ‘first right’ to the nation’s wealth” as per reports has been taken from a speech given by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on December 9, 2006, at the National Development Council meeting.
In his full speech, Singh talked about allocating resources to various minority groups including Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), other backward classes, women, children, and minorities, including the Muslim minority. However, only the Muslim community was not the focus of the speech.
The transcript of the speech from the government archive has Manmohan Singh saying “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 [sic].”
The full speech can be accessed PMO Archives page.
This is not the first time this speech has been brought up as in 2006 too, the speech had been used by the then opposition BJP to target the UPA government. The Manmohan Singh government had, just the next, issued a clarification claiming that there was “a deliberate and mischievous misinterpretation” of the then PM’s words.
It further gave a transcribed version of the speech, showing what was spoken and stated “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.”
It concluded with “While better-off sections of society will benefit from this process, it is the responsibility of the Government to pay special attention to the welfare of weaker and marginalized sections. The Prime Minister has said on several occasions that “India must shine, but shine for all.”
Image Credits: Google Images
Feature image designed by Saudamini Seth
Sources: Newslaundry, Hindustan Times, Livemint
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This post is tagged under: Manmohan Singh, manmohan singh, manmohan singh modi, manmohan singh press conference, manmohan singh muslims fact check, manmohan singh minority, PM Modi, Election 2024, Election 2024, lok sabha Elections, lok sabha Elections 2024, congress, rajasthan, Manmohan Singh 2006
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