Law Against Triple Talaq, Haj Quota Increase: PM Modi Lists NDA's Steps For Muslims, Slams Congress Over 'Appeasement'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday enumerated all the policies undertaken by the BJP-led central government to uplift Muslims, especially the women in the community. He accused the Congress of following a policy of appeasement, and yet doing nothing to uplift the social and economic condition of Muslims.

The prime minister cited the enactment of a law against instant triple talaq during the term of his government as a move that helped Muslim women. He also mentioned the increase in the Haj quota for Indian pilgrims.

Shifting gears in Uttar Pradesh, a day after the opposition criticised him for “fear mongering” in his Rajasthan speech, he explained how the Centre’s policies have helped the Muslim community. “Earlier, due to less Haj quota, there used to be a lot of fighting, and bribery was also prevalent there; only influential people would get the chance to go to Haj. I had requested the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia to increase the Haj quota for our Muslim brothers and sisters in India. Today, not only has India’s Haj quota increased but visa rules have also been made easier,” he said during a public rally in Aligarh for the Lok Sabha elections.

He added: “The government took a very important decision. Earlier, our Muslim mothers and sisters could not go alone for Haj; but, the government also allowed women to go to Haj without ‘mehram’ (male companion for a female pilgrim) and I am being blessed by thousands of sisters whose dream has been fulfilled.”

In the same breath, he reiterated his “wealth redistribution” claim saying Congress will “take control of people’s wealth and distribute it” if it is voted to power. Echoing the remarks made a day earlier in Rajasthan, he said the grand old party planned to conduct a survey of people’s possessions and redistribute them.

The PM said the people of Aligarh had put a lock on dynastic politics, corruption and appeasement practised by the two ‘shehzade’, or princes, referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, who are fighting the polls as allies.

“Prince of Congress (Rahul Gandhi) says when their government comes to power, how much property you have, how many houses you have, it will be enquired into. If you have an ancestral home if you have a flat in the city, the Congress may even take one out of these two. This is Maoist, communist thinking. That is what they want to implement in India,” he said.

Modi was referring to senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s statement from earlier this month, where he said if voted into office, the party will conduct a financial and institutional survey to ascertain who owns the wealth of the country, and will then undertake an exercise to redistribute it.

“I want to warn the countrymen. Congress and the INDI alliance have their eyes on your earnings and your property. The shehzada of Congress says if their government comes to power, they will investigate who earns how much, who has how many properties… Our mothers and sisters have gold. It is stree dhan, it is considered sacred, the law also protects it. Now these people’s eyes are on the mangalsutra of women. Their intention is to steal the gold of mothers and sisters,” he said.

He added: “These dynastic people, by looting the people of the country have made their empire. They have not given anything to people from their property… to loot the people of the country is their birthright is what they think.”

(With PTI inputs)

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