"Mangalsutra Linked To Women's Dreams": PM Attacks Congress On Manifesto

In a scathing attack on Congress in Rajasthan which is in the thick of the Lok Sabha poll contest, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that those who left Congress these days have pointed towards the party's manifesto and said that the party has gone into "grasp of urban Naxals."

Referring to reports about Congress's intention to redistribute wealth if elected to power, the Prime Minister said the party would conduct a survey and they would not even let Mangalsutra remain with women and "will go to this extent."

Addressing an election rally here, PM Modi took several jibes at Congress and said the "royal family" of the party will not be in a position to vote for the party as Congress is not contesting the New Delhi Lok Sabha seat.

"These days those who left Congress tell one thing very seriously, they are all saying that Congress is no longer Congress, it has gone into the grasp of urban Naxals. Congress is now in the grab of Communists. One of our friends asked them how can you say this, they said look at their (Congress) manifesto. See the Congress manifesto of this election. What Congress has said in its manifesto is serious and worrying. And it is their attempt to implement the Maoist thinking. They have said that if Congress government is formed, there will be survey of property belonging to each person. How much gold our sisters have, that will be found out, calculated," PM Modi said.

"Our tribal families have silver, that will be evaluated,...how much property government employees have, money, job that will be probed. Not only this, they have said that the gold that the sisters have, and other property, that will be distributed equally. Is it acceptable to you? Does the government have a right to snatch your property? Does the government have the right to take the wealth built by you with your hard work?" PM Modi asked.

He said the gold that mothers and sisters have is not for show only, it is linked to their self-respect.

"Their Mangalsutra, the question is not of the cost of gold in it, it is linked to her dreams of her life. You are talking of snatching it in your manifesto...will distribute gold and redistribute. When it was their government, they had said that Muslims have the first right over the country's wealth. Who will you distribute after collecting the wealth, distribute it to those who have more children, distribute to infiltrators. Will the money of your hard labour be given to infiltrators, is this acceptable to you? Congress manifesto is saying that they will calculate the gold of mothers, sisters and then redistribute the wealth to those whom the Manmohan Singh government had said that the first right to resources is of Muslims. Brothers, sisters, this thinking of urban Naxals, my mothers, sisters, they will not allow even your Mangalsutra remain in your possession, they will go to this extent," PM Modi said.

PM Modi was referring to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remarks made in December 2006 that the minorities, particularly Muslim minorities, should have first claim on the country's resources.

"We will have to devise innovative plans to ensure that minorities, particularly the Muslim minority, are empowered to share equitably in the fruits of development. They must have the first claim on resources," Dr Manmohan Singh had said.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who had been emphasizing a caste survey, had said in Hyderabad on April 7 after the Congress manifesto was released, that if elected to power, Congress will also hold a "financial and institutional survey" to know who possesses the wealth of India. He said after this "historical step, revolutionary work will be done" to give people their rights based on the population.

The Congress party later stated that it didn't mention "redistribution" in its manifesto and nor did Rahul Gandhi promise to redistribute the nation's wealth. Party leader Jairam Ramesh asserted that the party favours a "comprehensive socio-economic caste census," while alleging that Gandhi had been "misquoted".

Jairam Ramesh said the party is for caste census combined with a survey of national assets and governance systems, which is updated from time to time.

"This survey of caste groups, national assets, and representation in governance systems - collectively called a comprehensive socio-economic Caste Census - is the only solution to ensure an India with equal opportunity for all. Equal opportunity is the objective," he had said in a post on X.

In his speech, PM Modi said that it is very important to have a strong and stable government amid the current global circumstances.

"In current global circumstances...it is very important that a strong and stable government in the country is important," he said.

"A government that can protect its borders and, if the need arises, eliminate them even from hell. A government that can take the poor, the women, the farmers, the deprived, and the backward classes towards prosperity. A government that understands the aspirations of the youth and makes policies for them, that can develop infrastructure according to the future requirements. Our 10-year track record is proof, that it can only be done by BJP," he said.

Voting for Lok Sabha polls in Rajasthan is being held in two phases. Polling for 2 seats was held in the first phase on April 19 and voting for the remaining 13 seats will be contested in the second phase on April 26. The counting will take place on June 4.

In 2019, the BJP registered a sweeping victory, winning 24 out of 25 seats. Rashtriya Loktrantrik Party's Hanuman Beniwal also won a seat.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)