'Challenge people to find discrimination in my policies': PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed the 'Aabhar Rally' at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan. At the rally, Modi challenged people to find any form of discrimination in his policies while addressing the uproar over the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act. He also blamed the previous governments for the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and for making false electoral promises in Delhi. Here are the updates.
PM Modi started off with the slogan ''Vividhta me ekta, Bharat ki visheshta' (Unity in diversity is India's specialty). He blamed the previous governments for creating an environment of fear, uncertainty, deceit, and false electoral promises in Delhi. He also blamed the previous Delhi governments for giving 2,000 lavish bungalows to their close VIPs and delaying the Phase 4 of Delhi Metro project.
Modi also addressed the uproar over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), saying some parties are spreading rumors and inciting violence. "Did we ask anyone about their religion or political beliefs when we took the decision to authorize the unauthorized colonies in Delhi?" he said, bragging about the NCT of Delhi (Recognition of Property Rights of Residents in Unauthorized Colonies) Act, passed earlier this month.
At the rally, Modi asked, "Did we ask which political party they (people) support? Did we ask for documents from 1970, 1980?" Rumor has it that under nationwide NRC, people would be asked to produce ancestry documents dating back to the 1970s. However, the nationwide NRC process hasn't been announced. "I challenge these rumor-mongers to find discrimination in any of my policies," he said.
Modi said, "NRC came at the time of Congress. Were they sleeping then? We neither brought NRC in Cabinet or Parliament. If we're passing legislation to give you ownership rights, in the same session, will we bring legislation to send you out?" He added, "We live for the love of the country. We are dedicated to the mantra of 'Sabka saath, sabka vikas.'"
Modi condemned anti-CAA protests saying, "33,000 police personnel sacrificed their lives for peace and security in the country, since independence. Today, you are brutally thrashing them," adding the police don't ask for religion or caste when helping people. "Some urban Naxals are spreading rumors that all Muslims will be sent to detention centers," he said, asking people to read what CAA and NRC is.
Modi said, "There is a very simple difference, an infiltrator never reveals his identity and a refugee never hides his identity. Many of these infiltrators are coming out and speaking. Why don't they speak the truth? They are scared that their reality will come out."
Referring to an infant of a Hindu refugee family in Delhi's Majnu-ka-Tilla who was named 'Nagrikta' (Citizenship), Modi said, "If lives of 'Nagrikta' and her parents become easy, if problems of any citizen of the country are solved, why does it pain you (miscreants)?" He also said West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee previously sought action against illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and now opposes CAA.
Addressing Banerjee, Modi asked, "Didi what has happened to you? Why did you change? Why are you spreading rumors? Elections come and go. Why are you scared?" Banerjee has been leading state-wide protests against NRC and CAA.
