Neither against Islam, nor Muslims: PM Modi

New Delhi:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi today reached out to the Muslim community urging them not to fall into the trap of those who are creating an atmosphere of fear.

 “I am saying this for the first time to the Muslim ‘samaj’ (community) and their educated faction: please introspect. The country is moving ahead, but why does your community feel something is missing? Why did you not get the benefits of government schemes during the Congress era? Reflect on whether you experienced hardship during that period,” he said in a TV interview.

“I urge the Muslim ‘samaj’ to think about the future of their children, and also about their future. I don’t want any community to live the life of bonded labor because someone is creating an atmosphere of fear.”

To draw a point home, PM Modi said Muslims in Gujarat vote for BJP. “I have completed 25 years as head of government. In Gujarat, you must be aware, that records are available from the 18th and 19th centuries that riots used to take place in Gujarat. Out of 10 years, 7 years would witness riots. After 2002, not a single riot took place in India. In Gujarat, Muslims vote for the BJP. I am saying this for the first time, I’ve never spoken on this issue. I want to say this to the Muslim community,” he said.

PM Modi said the Muslim community is evolving across the globe. “I visit Gulf countries, they give me so much respect. I get respect and so does Bharat. But we are facing protests here. In Saudi Arabia, Yoga is a subject of the official syllabus. When I talk about Yoga, here they call me anti-Muslim. In Gulf countries, wealthy and affluent people meet me and over dinner, they ask me about dinner. They ask me if one has to take official training, what should one do? Some tell me that their wives go to India to learn yoga. They stay there for at least a month. Wives of affluent people in the Gulf are showing interest in Yoga. But in India, they’ve made it about Hindu-Muslim,” he said.

PM Modi made it clear that they are neither against Islam, nor against Muslims. “This is not our domain. When it comes to their abuses, they have been spinning this narrative since the Nehru era. They have always been abusing us as anti-Muslim. Secondly, they used to abuse us because by putting in very little work, they would yield dividends. So, they would vilify us as anti-Muslim and then would claim they are friends of Muslims. They gained through this. That is why they created this atmosphere of fear. They were reaping benefits by fearmongering. But the Muslim community is aware now. When I abolished triple talaq and ended that practice, Muslim sisters felt that I was genuine about their concerns. When I give Ayushman cards, they say I am a genuine man. When I give COVID vaccines, they say I am a genuine man. They realize I am not discriminating against anyone. The opposition’s problem is that their lies have been caught. That is why to mislead, they have to keep saying all kinds of lies,” he said.

On CAA, he said nowhere is it stated that citizenship will be revoked. “But for the past two years, the Congress Party has been spreading lies. Have you ever fact-checked them? Have you ever questioned them on your show Paatshala? They spread so many lies. Just witness any statement of Congress. For example, they have brought up the issue of inheritance tax issue. Somebody, please tell me whether such a law is practiced in any developing nation. In their manifesto and speeches, one has to compare them. They (Congress leaders) are repeatedly saying it and it’s mentioned in their manifesto,” he said.

“ Twice, Manmohan Singh had said publicly that Muslims have the first right to the country’s resources. And when they talk about conducting a survey, they say that we will take everything and distribute it. So, who are they going to give? They will give to them mentioned by Manmohan Singh. It’s clear as daylight, and when you connect the dots, then one wouldn’t question me. I am citing their language, words, and written assurance. All the efforts they’ve made since 1990, the decisions they made after the Sachar Committee report, if put all together, then I think their intention is right, and there is no hidden agenda, but they keep it hidden in their words. This time I have exposed them to the hilt,” he,” he added. 

He said when they go seeking votes of one community, they speak differently, and when they approach the other community, they take a neutral stand. “This is their duplicity. We always talked about Ram Mandir. If our election manifesto was 10 pages, the last line was about the Ram temple, the abrogation of Article 370, and the common civil code,” he said.