Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused the Congress again of planning to redistribute people’s property if it is voted to power, but stopped short of saying that the wealth would go to Muslims. Addressing an election rally in western Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh, a constituency with a sizeable Muslim population, Modi accused the opposition Congress and the Samajwadi Party of following a policy of “appeasement” and yet doing nothing to uplift the socio-economic condition of the community.

 

In contrast, he cited the enactment of a law against instant triple talaq and an increase in the Haj quota as moves during the BJP Government’s term to help the community. On Sunday, the Prime Minister had triggered a political row by claiming that the Congress manifesto promised “redistribution” of wealth after conducting a survey. Citing former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s 2006 remark on Muslims having the “first claim” on the country’s resources, Modi said in Rajasthan’s Banswara that the Congress was set to hand over the wealth of others to “infiltrators” and “those who have more children”.