Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a fierce attack on the Congress party on Monday, accusing it of indulging in vote-bank politics by amending the Waqf Act in 2013. Addressing a public gathering in Yamunanagar, Haryana, after inaugurating a new terminal at Hisar’s Maharaja Agrasen Airport and flagging off a flight to Ayodhya, PM Modi questioned the Congress’ commitment to the Muslim community, reported the Hindustan Times.
“The Congress amended the Waqf law in 2013, just before the elections, to appease a section of voters. If the party truly cares about Muslims, why hasn’t it appointed a Muslim as its national president?” PM Modi challenged. He further called on the Congress to allocate 50 percent of its election tickets to Muslim candidates, asserting that only then would their voices be genuinely represented.
PM Modi claimed that the Waqf Board holds vast tracts of land across the country which could have been utilized for the upliftment of the poor, especially Muslim women and youth. “Had this land been used honestly, many young Muslims wouldn’t be forced to fix punctured tyres for a living,” he remarked.
He also alleged that Waqf properties have primarily benefitted a select group of land mafias, with no real advantage for Pasmanda Muslims, Dalits, or Adivasis. “Several widows wrote to the Centre, which eventually prompted a debate on this unjust law,” Modi said.
Meanwhile, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge responded to PM Modi’s remarks by recalling the mistreatment Dr. B.R. Ambedkar faced from right-wing organizations. “Even when Ambedkar embraced Buddhism, they denigrated him. These forces were against him then and remain so today,” Kharge stated during a press conference in New Delhi.
The exchange comes amid a heated political climate ahead of the upcoming elections, as both parties attempt to position themselves as champions of social justice and constitutional values.
