Rahul Gandhi’s statement promising a “financial and institutional survey” for re-distribution of the country’s wealth and jobs has opened a Pandora’s Box. (Getty)
The prime minister has questioned if the Congress would re-distribute wealth amongst the Muslim community, linking it to a statement of former PM Manmohan Singh in 2006 on who should have the first right to the country’s resources
Rahul Gandhi had mentioned the re-distribution as a sequel to the already-promised caste census. “We will do a caste census so that the backwards, SCs, STs, poor of general castes and minorities get to know how much they account for in the country. After that, we will do a financial and institutional survey to find who holds the country’s wealth, what section holds it, and then we will undertake revolutionary work. Whatever is your right, we will work on giving you the same. Be it media, bureaucracy, or all institutions — we will create space for you there and give you your right,” Gandhi had said, as per his speech uploaded on the Congress party website.
Modi links Manmohan’s 2006 Statement
The prime minister has attacked this particular statement to question if the Congress would re-distribute wealth amongst the Muslim community, linking it to a statement of former prime minister Manmohan Singh in 2006 on who should have the first right to the country’s resources. The PMO then had clarified that Singh meant the “first claim on resources” would be of SCs, STs, OBCs, women and children, and minorities.
However, the BJP put out portions of Singh’s 2006 speech to say that he clearly said: “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 Congress countered that BJP was ignoring the earlier part of the same statement which said: “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.”
BJP Goes Into History
But BJP cited more examples of speeches by Singh to make a case that the Congress has always believed in benefiting Muslims. The party cited a 2006 speech of Singh where he said the Muslim community in certain parts of India has not had an equal share of the fruits of development and that it was “incumbent upon any democratically elected government to redress such imbalances and eradicate such inequities. I assure you, our Government is indeed committed to doing this”.
The Manmohan Singh government had also set up the Sachar Committee to assess the condition of minorities, especially Muslims, in India. In 2014, Singh had said that the data provided in the report of the Sachar Committee had established that the Muslim community, in certain parts of the country, had not had an equal share of the fruits of development.
Further, the BJP is reading signals in the Congress manifesto to predict that the party will take the line put forward by Rahul Gandhi. One of the points of the Congress manifesto says: “We will ensure that the minorities receive their fair share of opportunities in education, healthcare, public employment, public works contracts, skill development, sports and cultural activities without discrimination.” The BJP is questioning if the Congress is thinking about Muslim reservation with such promises.
The Congress, however, has termed the PM’s statement on Sunday “communal” and asked the Election Commission to act on the same. The PM had asked if the Congress wants to re-distribute the wealth to those “who have many children” or those who are “infiltrators” and told the crowd in a Rajasthan rally that even the ‘mangalsutra’ of women won’t be spared by the Congress.
Rahul on Target
The BJP top brass has decided to target Rahul Gandhi strongly in the campaign, which shows in the PM’s statement on Sunday or the attacks from Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, as well as BJP president JP Nadda on Gandhi’s indecision to contest from Amethi. The PM has claimed that the Congress will declare a third ‘safe seat’ for Gandhi after the polling in Wayanad is over on April 26 and said Gandhi would desert Wayanad as well as he has done with Amethi.
Gandhi, in a post on X, said PM Modi is trying to divert the attention of the public from real issues and is speaking lies out of fear of losing elections. “Trends have started coming in regarding the immense support the Congress’ ‘Revolutionary Manifesto’ is receiving,” Gandhi posted on X. PM Modi had earlier described the Congress Manifesto as one bearing resemblance to that of the ‘Muslim League’.
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