'Mere liye gareeb sabse badi abaadi hai': PM Modi takes jibe at Congress over caste reservation demand
Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh), October 3: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday took a swipe at the Congress regarding the 'Jitni aabadi utna haq' (as many people, that much right) remark, saying, "Mere liye gareeb sabse badi abaadi hai" (for me, the biggest population is the poor).
Addressing a rally in poll-bound Chhattisgarh, PM Narendra Modi criticised Congress leaders, who have been advocating for caste-based reservation demands. He emphasised that, in his view, the priority should be given to the poor when it comes to resource allocation, and that remains his sole objective.
The report of a caste-based survey conducted in Bihar was released on Monday by the Nitish Kumar-led Mahagathbandhan government, with the Congress as an ally.
Prime Minister Modi recalled former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's stance that the minority should have the first right to the country's resources and that Muslims have that right. He pointed out that Congress' current position differs from this perspective.
Prime Minister Modi questioned whether the Congress intends to reduce the rights of minorities or remove them altogether by suggesting that resource allocation should be determined by community population size. He further posed the question of whether Hindus, with the largest population, should step forward and claim all their rights.
PM Modi also asserted that the Congress seems to be under external influence rather than being led by its own members. He noted that senior leaders within the Congress remained silent and were neither consulted nor dared to speak out on such matters, indicating that the party had been outsourced.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated several development projects worth around Rs 27,000 crore in Chhattisgarh, including the NMDC Steel Ltd's steel plant at Nagarnar. The steel plant is a greenfield project expected to produce high-quality steel.
Chhattisgarh is one of the five states scheduled for elections by the end of the year, with the BJP aiming to replace the Congress government that came to power in 2018.
- ANI
