New Delhi, Dec 22: Far from being cowed down by nationwide violent protest including by a large number of varsity students, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday turned the tables against opposition stating that these leaders including Mamata Banerjee and those from Congress have “changed” their stand due to vote bank politics.
‘Muslims who are sons of the soil and whose ancestors are the children of mother India need not worry,’ Mr Modi told a rally here amid frequent chanting of ‘Modi Modi’ slogans.
‘Our government has never asked any citizen of India if they go to a temple or a mosque when it comes to implementing welfare schemes,” Prime Minister told a massive poll rally addressing within days the capital city witnessed violent protests over Citizenship Act marred by burning of buses, arrest of students and detention of opposition and Left party leaders.
His admirers also screamed – ‘Modi tum agey baro (PM Modi please go ahead, we are with you)’.
FIRs have been lodged against some politicians including from AAP, that is seen as BJP’s chief rival in Delhi, and 15 protestors are now cooling heels behind bars in judicial custody.
The Prime Minister said the new law does not impact 1.3 billion Indians and added eloquently – … and I must assure Muslim citizens of India that this law will not change anything for them”.
Making references to comments made earlier by former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, he said -“These leaders have changed their stand; all their love and sympathy for these refugees vanished”.
“Mamata Banerjee used to throw papers in Parliament demanding actions against infiltrators….,” he said and charged the mercurial Trinamool Congress supremo of being ‘scared’ of facing the people of her state.
Slamming her decision to demand for UN intervention, he said, “Aap dari kyon ho….? What has happened to you Didi, elections come and go. Why are you scared’.
Mr Modi said that Congress and its supporters were disturbed by the fact that he was getting respect globally, especially in Muslim-majority countries.
‘Afghanistan or Palestine, Saudi Arabia or UAE, Maldives or Bahrain – all these countries have given India their highest civilian honour,’ he said.
“The Congress and other opposition parties are afraid why this man is getting support from Islamic nations…if this goes on, their narrative of Modi being anti Muslim will fail. They cannot spread the fear among Muslims,” he said.
Directing his tirade against Left parties and others who frequently expose their double standards and often protest carrying tri-colour flags, Prime Minister “I respect carrying national flags, but that gives responsibility also. The same people should condemn Pakistan for their support to terrorism in India”.
Mr Modi particularly regretted that 100-year-old Congress leadership is not calling for peace and tranquillity.
He went onto attack opposition parties for pursuing their politics with ‘remote control’.
“CAA is enacted not by modi in an overnight decision. It is in line with what Mahatma Gandhi had said. Those who got benefits of Gandhi surname should realise that Gandhiji himself had said that Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan should be always welcomed in India,” he said.
“CAA is not for taking away citizenship right but to give rights”.
Prime Minister stood firm against the criticism being made of the police forces.
During last fortnight, police actions in Delhi, Assam and Karnataka have ranged from using tear gas to storming university campuses.
BJP on Saturday announced that it will hold rallies in each district of the country and address at least 250 media conferences to reach out to three crore families on CAA.
An all-women protest was organised in Guwahati where the participants expressed fears that the ‘immigrants’ blessed by the new law CAA would dilute their native and pristine traditions and cultures.
