By Abdul Bari Masoud, MM News,
New Delhi: Congress tore apart the statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Dadri lynching incident and announced that it will fight communal forces tooth and nail without weighing the political consequences. It said what happened in Dadri was not just an attack on Mohammad Akhlaq, it was an attack on the Constitution of India, and the fundamentals of democracy. It alleged that the Prime Minister is indulging in double speak as he failed to keep his promise made to the people on the last Independence day.
Briefing the media on the alarming communal situation in the country on Saturday, Congress senior leader and spokesperson Kapil Sibal said the Dadri incident was premeditated meticulously planned conspired strategm to create an environment of fear. This was not something that just happened as an outburst of emotions. Reminding the Prime Minister of his Independence Day speech in 2014 in which he called for a 10 year moratorium on communal issues, Kapli Sibal asked the PM had he fulfilled the promise?
“Mr. Prime Minister, in Dadri, Sense of tolerance which is a part of Indian tradition has been murdered. In fact, the soul of India was sought to be murdered.We condemn it and will leave no stone unturned to fight it”.
He said the Congress and people asked the PM that why before every election the communal temperature rises above boiling point?
“We wish to ask Prime Minister Modi why before every election the communal temperature rises above boiling point. Is it because the BJP wishes to polarize the polity to garner votes or is it just a coincidence? The manner in which Mohammad Akhlaq was targeted was not a fight between Hindus and Muslims as you termed it in your recent speech in Nawada on October 8, 2015 when you said “……Hindus must decide whether they want to fight Muslims or poverty and Muslims must decide whether they want to fight Hindus or poverty.”
The forces that killed Pansare, Dhabolkar and Kalburgi; the forces that beat up an MLA in the Legislative Assembly in Jammu & Kashmir; the forces that didn’t allow Ghulam Ali to perform in Mumbai; that forced couples out of a hotel and invaded their privacy are the same that brutally murdered Mohammed Akhlaq.
The mind-set behind these forces sows the seeds of hatred and then seeks to profit from the ensuing harvest of violence.
He alleged that Dadri lynching was a premeditated, meticulously conspired stratagem to create an environment of fear; to divide the polity for the BJP to gain political capital in Bihar.
Congress leader also asked why Modi waited for nine days to open his mouth on the incident and questioned his ministers’ statements.
“You should not have waited for 9 days to make a non-statement. Your words were insensitive since they did not take note of the forces of hate behind the Dadri lynching. You said in Nawada that “there is a conspiracy that Modi never shows his face again”. Who can prevent Prime Minister Modi from showing his face 24 x 7 whether we like it or not. The incident should make our heads hang in shame.
You should have said publicly “I can’t show my face to my people as this happened under my nose and my own Home Minister calls it “an unfortunate incident” and to make matters worse, the Home Minister was insensitive enough to say “it is not proper to give communal colour to it,” said Kapil Sibal.
“The Prime Minister’s statement was a non-statement. It was not expected of Prime Minister to make such a non-statement”.
Asking the PM to accept that BJP’s politics of hate is for garnering votes rather than uniting India for peace and prosperity, he said “sabka saath, sabka vikaas” and “desh ko ek rehna hai”, are hollow slogans.
“Mr. Mahesh Sharma, your very own Culture Minister said on October 4, 2015 “Maar diya hoga kisi shaitaan ne”. That shaitaan belongs to a mindset encouraged by the BJP. That shaitaan is the mind-set of the Sangh. That shaitaan benefits the politics of the BJP”.
“Your Urban Development Minister said: “these are local happenings”……..”You have to understand the sensitivities, the local situation, and then come to conclusions”. Whose sensitivities Mr. Prime Minister? The sensitivities of those who killed Mohammad Akhlaq! To top it all, Nitin Gadkari when asked why Prime Minister Modi has not spoken for so many days, said “bole to bole kyun? Nahi bole to kyun nahi bole? ab pradhan mantri kya har vishay par bolenge?”
Mr. Sangeet Som, BJP MLA says that if action is taken against innocent people, we will give a befitting reply. He further stated that “we can give a reply whenever we want”. The BJP’s western UP unit’s vice-president Shrichand Sharma said “This happens every day. When we hurt people’s sentiments, such clashes take place”.
These are your own ministers and party leaders’ statements, why you (Modi) are not taking any action against them, asked Kapil SibaI who took a dig at Modi’s statement that: “because of politics and for petty gains, people are making irresponsible statements”.
“What is unfortunate is that you too are playing politics. Your strategy ever since you became Prime Minister is to allow your Ministers and BJP functionaries to create an environment of communal tension and violence. After polarizing the polity for political gain, you then make a wishy-washy statement, talking of ‘akhandata/sadbhavana’ so that you reap both harvests”.
Quoting his elections speeches in the run-up to 2014 general elections, Congress leader said Modi’s double talk has been exposed.
“Your double speak is clear after you became Prime Minister. Please explain why beef exports were not banned. In 2014 – 15 beef exports grew by 20% and Gujarat, Mr. Prime Minister is amongst the top 10 states in India in terms of the number of slaughter houses”.
When asked how the Congress Party had tackled this mindset during their regime, Kapil Sibal said: “we have tried our best and neither any party nor any individual is ‘perfect’ but we have been sincerely trying our best”.
On the question of different opinions in the Congress Party on cow-slaughter issue, he said if the Central Government wants to bring Legislation, let them bring it; it will be discussed in Parliament.