Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a sharp attack on the Congress party for its protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, charging it with appeasement politics and blaming the party for treating the interests of marginalized groups such as Muslims, Dalits, and the backward classes at their convenience.
Addressing the opening of the Hisar airport in Haryana, PM Modi posed the Waqf law reforms as a work of "real social justice" and asserted them in the context of the larger vision of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, whose birthday was being celebrated. The Congress, he stated, had always exploited Ambedkar's name for electoral politics while blocking steps toward equality.
"Congress insulted Babasaheb Ambedkar during his lifetime, plotted against him at elections, and sought to eliminate his contributions after his passing," the Prime Minister asserted. He further stated that Congress employed the Constitution as a "means of power" and did not adopt reforms like the Uniform Civil Code, which he said has now been enacted in Uttarakhand under BJP rule.
Referring to the new Waqf law, Modi added that the amendments were intended to prevent the misuse of Waqf properties and ensure that Dalit, tribal, and economically weaker sections of land is saved. "Lakhs of hectares of Waqf land could have empowered the poor, particularly Muslim youth, but got into the pockets of a land mafia," he said.
In a stinging challenge to the Congress, the Prime Minister asked why the party does not have a Muslim president or keep 50% of its election tickets for Muslim candidates if it says it is committed to minority welfare.
Countering the criticism, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge retorted that the ruling government selectively quotes Ambedkar without adhering to his fundamental principles. "Babasaheb stressed education. What has this government done in that direction?" Kharge questioned. He also pointed out Congress's achievement in empowering women and marginalized sections, citing the Women's Reservation Bill enacted two years ago, and reaffirmed the party's call for SC, ST, and OBC sub-quotas within it.
Kharge also reminded that it was the Congress that had put Ambedkar in the Constituent Assembly and appointed him as chairman of the Drafting Committee. "They (BJP) only talk against Congress and Nehru ji. But what have they done for Babasaheb's vision?" he asked.
The acrimonious exchange between the two parties comes in the backdrop of mounting political heat on reforms and community rights ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
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