The Aryavarth Express
Agency (New Delhi): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress Party exchanged sharp criticisms following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s denial of engaging in Hindu-Muslim politics, with the BJP emphasizing his administration’s commitment to equitable development for all Indians. In response to Congress’s allegations of communal campaigning, Modi, in a recent interview with News 18, affirmed that such divisive politics would render him unfit for public service, instead highlighting his government’s developmental initiatives as evidence of his impartial governance.
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, a former Union Minister, supported Modi’s claim, citing the end of communal appeasement and the universal benefit of the government’s welfare schemes, which he stated have reached the poorest without discrimination. Union Minister Giriraj Singh also defended the Modi administration, contrasting it with previous Congress-led governments, which he claimed favored Muslims, citing past statements by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about minorities’ entitlement to resources.
Conversely, the Congress, through its spokespersons including Jairam Ramesh, labeled Modi as a “pathological liar,” asserting that his recent claims of non-communal politics were contradicted by his consistent use of communal language and symbols in his speeches. They pointed to Modi’s references to various communal and culturally sensitive terms as indicative of his real political agenda.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge criticized Modi’s campaign rhetoric, questioning why Modi’s speeches included terms like “mutton, beef, chicken, fish, and mangalsutra,” which he argued were deliberate provocations. Kharge challenged Modi to campaign on his governance record rather than divisive issues.
The debate reached a climax with BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain defending Modi’s vision of treating India’s vast population as a singular entity, devoid of communal segmentation. He countered the opposition’s narrative by arguing that it was the Congress and its allies who persistently framed Modi’s policies within a communal context.