Bengaluru: In a sign of things to come this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday aggressively took on the Congress at a largely Hindu crowd at Tumakuru near here.
Calling the Congress the ‘voice of Pakistan’, he dared the party to criticise Pakistan and publicly say that it was rejecting the move to give citizenship to the persecuted Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Christians in Pakistan under the Citizens Amendment Act (CAA).
In his first public address of 2020 outside New Delhi, the PM chose his venue well to send out a scalding message to the Congress. Addressing a largely Lingayat crowd at the Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru, Modi flayed the Congress and the Opposition for spreading chaos, confusion and anarchy across the country for his government’s role in giving protection to persecuted Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Christians and other minorities in Pakistan.
The Prime Minister dared the Congress and opposition parties to condemn Pakistan for “persecution of religious minorities” instead of condemning the CAA.
“Our Parliament had passed the historical bill. But the Congress Party and the ecosystem created by them are running down the Indian Parliament instead of condemning Pakistan for committing atrocities against the religious minorities.
Pakistan was formed based on religion and the Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Jains have been persecuted in Pakistan since Partition. But no one is criticising Pakistan. We cannot leave our persecuted brothers and sisters to their fate. It is our duty to help them, “ Modi said.
While the Congress has been rallying the minorities against the CAA, Modi chose a predominantly Hindu audience to drive home the point that the Congress has no concern for the Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Christians and will never speak against Pakistan. “Why is the Congress afraid to criticise Pakistan,” he asked.
