New Delhi, Feb. 20: The Congress yesterday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of vitiating the atmosphere in Uttar Pradesh to polarise the society and asked the Election Commission to take appropriate action.
Congress’ senior spokesperson Anand Sharma told reporters here that Modi has been making objectionable remarks at election rallies and his statement on February 19 that if there was a ‘kabaristaan’ (graveyard), there should be a ‘shamshaan’ (cremation ground) too was aimed at creating polarisation.
“Our Constitution does not allow anyone to divide the nation, be it on caste or religion basis. The Prime Minister is not above the Constitution or the law. We expect the Election Commission to take appropriate action on this,” he said.
He said that the Election Commission has given strict directions not to evoke passion and divide the society on the basis of religion or caste, and it is expected of the EC that it issues a notice to the Prime Minister and the BJP.
The Congress leader said the Prime Minister was making such statements as his party was staring at an imminent defeat in the state.
“In doing so, he is disrespecting the Constitution and violating the oath of his office,” he said.
Sharma accused the BJP of polarising the society to reap political benefits.
“They wear masks and in a hurry, this mask seems to have fallen. Prime Minister Modi, true to his form, is vitiating the atmosphere during another election time. He has tried to stir communal tension and to polarise the society. The Prime Minister’s speech where he spoke of graveyards and crematoriums shows his mindset,” he said.
Asked if the Congress would take it up with the poll body, Sharma said, “The Election Commission should do its own work. It has a Constitutional mandate... The Election Commission had said earlier that it would not allow such kind of campaign, which is divisive.”
Addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh yesterday, Modi had said there should be “no discrimination on the basis of caste and religion”.
“Agar Ramzan mein bijli aati hai, to Diwali me bhi aani chahiye, bhedbhav nahi hona chahiye (If there is electricity during Ramzan, it must also be available during Diwali, there should be no discrimination),” he had said.
Modi also said if there was a ‘kabaristaan’ (graveyard), there should be a ‘shamshaan’ (cremation ground) too.
The Congress leader said the Prime Minister, instead of creating division among people, should tell them how many of his promises he has fulfilled.
“He should actually reflect and go in for atonement and course correction, which he won’t as he is arrogant,” Sharma said. He said the Congress has asked the Prime Minister to give an account of the works done by his government. He alleged that Modi and his government have “betrayed” the people of India.
“Why he has not honoured the promises which he made to our youths and to the farmers. This government has inflicted untold and unflinching sufferings on the people post his reckless decision of demonetisation on November 8 rendering tens of millions jobless. The worst hit have been farmers and the poor,” he said.
Sharma also alleged that it was clear that BJP was staring at a big defeat and “flustered and frustrated, Modi ji has lost all sense of balance in his speeches”.
Branding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Diwali, Ramzan bhed-bhav’ remark as deplorable, Secretary of the Legal and Human Rights Department of the Congress party KC Mittal on Monday appealed to the Election Commission to exercise its constitutional powers and take stern action to ensure that free and fair elections are held.
Mittal said that the Bharatiya Janata Party symbol should be withdrawn and should be derecognized.
“We will approach the Election Commission that stern action should be taken against the Prime Minister and the BJP. Earlier also we have made number of complains and having requesting of de-recognisation of their symbol. We hope and expect that the EC will ultimately exercise their constitutional powers and ensure that free and fair elections are held. Their symbol should be withdrawal and should be derecognized,” he added.
He further said that the speech was not only deplorable but it totally violates in the model code of conduct.
The CPI(M) yesterday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “graveyard, cremation ground” remarks, alleging it was a “straightforward” appeal aimed at “communal polarisation” of voters in Uttar Pradesh.
“It is a straightforward appeal, an effort for communal polarisation. The talk about kabristan (graveyard) and cremation, Holi and Eid, Diwali and Ramzan...the counter- posing (of these words) itself is an appeal to communal sentiments,” CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said in an interaction with PTI journalists here.
Addressing a poll rally in Fatehpur in UP yesterday, Modi had stressed that there should be “no discrimination on the basis of caste and religion” and asserted that inclusive growth was his government’s mantra.
Yechury also drew a comparison between Modi and former prime minister and BJP veteran Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
He said Vajpayee was “more of a democrat” while Modi was “more of an autocrat”.
Yechury alleged that the prime minister was leading BJP’s “fork-tongued” campaign for the UP assembly polls, in which, while Modi was talking about farmers’ debt waivers, other BJP leaders at the same time harped on Ram temple issue.
“You now have these fork-tongued speeches ... there is this one angle of economy and debt waiver and, on the other, straightforward appeal for communal polarisation. The BJP has perfected the tactic,” he alleged.
A Samajwadi Party minister yesterday stoked a controversy by calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah “terrorists” which invited sharp reaction from the Centre’s ruling party which said use of such “intemperate language” shows SP’s “frustration”.
“Both of them want to create an environment of fear in the state for votes. They (Modi and Shah) are terrorists. They are creating terror in our democracy,” Rajendra Chaudhary told reporters here.
He said “BJP has nothing” to say about its work and therefore its leaders are making “wild allegations”.
“The BJP knows it is losing the UP polls and it will perform worse than even in Bihar,” said Chowdhury, who is also a minister in the Akhilesh Yadav Cabinet.
The Prime Minister and the BJP national president have been attacking the ruling Samajwadi Party in their campaign rallies.
Modi had on February 19 suggested that SP government was discriminating among people on the basis of religion and caste.
The SP leader yesterday said Shah “used to terrorise voters” from the dais and many times its own workers “get afraid of him due to his behaviour”.
BJP has reacted sharply to the “intemperate language” of the leader.
“It is their (SP’s) frustration and people of UP will punish them for such intemperate language against the PM,” said BJP vice president and party’s UP in-charge Om Mathur.
He said the SP is losing the elections badly and that is the reason for use of such language in utter frustration.
BSP supremo Mayawati yesterday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, terming him as “Mr Negative Dalit Man”.
“Perturbed at the rising popularity of the BSP, the prime minister is indulging in cheap things and indulging in petty talk about its supreme leader and has termed BSP as ‘Behenji Sampatti Party’ (Behenji Assets Party),” she said at an election rally here.
Mayawati is popularly known as ‘Behenji’. “He (Modi) is an expert in jumlebaazi (rhetoric) but when he will get a tit-for-tat reply he will forget all about it and today I have been compelled to do the same for him,” she said.
“Narendra Damodardas Modi means Mr Negative Dalit Man, he is anti-dalit... This negative dalit man does not like that common people give small contributions in running the movement which is also run through donations,” Mayawati said.
Her retort came soon after Modi, at an election rally in Orai region of Jalaun in Bundelkhand region, noted that BSP is no longer Bahujan Samaj Party.
“...bahujan toh Mayawati me simat gaya hai...it is Behenji Sampatti Party now. Those who deposit wealth for themselves, can they solve your problem?” Modi asked.
Hitting back, Mayawati said, “He (Modi) does not know that BSP is a movement first and then a political party....I have dedicated my entire life for making members of dalit, deprived and weaker sections and Muslims stand on their feet.”
Launching a personal attack on the prime minister, Mayawati said, “Unlike him I have not got married...he had got married and later left his wife, which is another thing....and I have only worked for the deprived sections of society.”
“It is because of this dedication that people among the weaker sections do not consider me only as a leader but a big ‘sampatti’ (asset) for the movement,” Mayawati said.
“He is giving a wrong definition of BSP...he does not know that deprived and weaker sections consider me as a big wealth of bahujan samaj who has given up her entire life for their progress,” she said.
“This dalit ke beti does not lack in anything and if he defined the BSP wrongfully, she is two steps ahead of him,” she said. .
Explaining the money deposited in her party’s bank account, the BSP supremo said, “Three months ago, a membership drive was run in the country when there was no ban on Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. Party men converted small donations into big notes for bringing it to Delhi for depositing in banks. It was that money which was deposited in the bank.”
“They (BJP) do not like that BSP is fighting the elections with the help of small donations. They do not like that Dalit ke beti campaigns in helicopter. Their intention was to make BSP turn bankrupt,” Mayawati said.
“You consider me as your leader, devi, bhagwan, asset... there is no difference between devi and asset,” she said.
“In Orai, what the prime minister said was very sad. He said that there is Rs 100 crore in BSP account. But, before saying so, they should introspect as to how much money was deposited in their accounts earlier, before pointing fingers at others,” she said.
“But, Mr Dalit Negative Man is not ready to do so,” she said.
“I have given the definition of the prime minister of my country taking into consideration his work, behaviour and policy,” a visibly agitated Mayawati said.
She said that the polling of three phases have made Modi so nervous that he was making all sorts of allegations against the political opponents.
Earlier, Modi said in Orai, “Where has BSP reached today ...when I announced note ban on November 8 last year, arch rivals SP and BSP who never see eye to eye came together ...I was amazed when I launched war against corruption and asked for the details of back money. They came together and all including the Congress started speaking same language.”
“Behenji (Mayawati) alleges that government was ill-prepared. Was it the government or was it you, who was not prepared?” Modi asked.
