HYDERABAD: Launching a blistering attack on the Congress following Indian Overseas Congress chairman Sam Pitroda’s comments on skin colour, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asserted that the people of the country would never tolerate insults based on skin colour.
Addressing a massive public meeting in Warangal as part of the BJP’s Lok Sabha election campaign, Modi asked: “Will the ability of people be decided in my country based on skin colour? Who gave the permission to ‘shehzada’ for this game of skin colour?”
Referring to Pitroda as “philosopher and guide” of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, the prime minister said that he has now understood that the grand old party sought to defeat President Droupadi Murmu in the presidential elections as her skin colour is dark. “Those who dance keeping the Constitution on their heads are insulting the people of the country based on their skin colour. The people of the country worship Lord Sri Krishna whose skin colour was like all of us,” Modi added.
The prime minister was referring to Pitroda’s comments in an interview that people in the eastern parts of India resembled the Chinese and those from the south looked like Africans.
Mum is the word?
Addressing a public meeting in Karimnagar earlier in the day, Modi questioned why the Congress suddenly stopped abusing industrialists Adani and Ambani since the Lok Sabha elections were declared. “I wish to ask the shahzada (prince) of the Congress how much black money have they received from Adani, Ambani? How much did the Congress receive from them for the elections?” He said that Rahul used to speak of five industrialists for years, then started to speak only of Ambani and Adani, and now he is mum. The Congress owes a clarification to the people,” Modi said.
Tearing into the Congress government in Telangana, the prime minister said that the money belonging to the people of the state was being looted in the name of the “RR” tax. “One share goes to the “R” in Hyderabad, and the other share goes to the “R” in Delhi,” he alleged.
Recalling that the doors of the Ram temple in Ayodhya came from Telangana, Modi said that the grand old party wants to “lock these doors”. Referring to expelled Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam’s claims that Rahul was planning to overturn the Ram temple verdict if the grand old party was voted to power, Modi said that this was revealed by a former adviser of the “royal family of Congress”.
Corruption binds Cong, BRS together: Modi
Reiterating his allegations that the Congress was conspiring against the SC, ST and OBC communities, Modi alleged: “They want to steal from your quota, as guaranteed by the Constitution, and give it to their vote bank.”
Sharing the stage with MRPS leader Manda Krishna Madiga, he said that the Congress was not willing to do justice to the Madiga community.
The prime minister claimed that corruption was the “glue” binding the Congress and the BRS. The pink party is also rooted in appeasement and has betrayed the SC, ST and BC communities, he alleged. Recalling the BRS promise of a chief minister from the BC community, Modi said: “Trust was betrayed in the Dalit Bandhu scheme as well”.
Modi, who met the family of former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao on Tuesday, alleged that the grand old party insulted its own leader (PV) due to its “family first” policy. “It was the NDA government that honoured him with the Bharat Ratna,” he reminded.
