Gwalior: In a sharp attack on the Congress without naming it, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the Opposition party has played with the emotions of the poor and divided the country on caste lines for six decades — a “sin” which it is committing now as well.
Modi’s statement came hours after the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar released findings of its caste survey months ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, which revealed OBCs and EBCs constitute a whopping 63 per cent of the state’s total population. The Congress is a constituent of the ruling bloc in Bihar and has promised a caste-based census in the country if voted to power at the Centre.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, addressing a rally in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh’s Shajapur district two days ago, said if his party came to power at the Centre, it would conduct a caste-based census to benefit all sections of society, particularly Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the country.
“Enemies of development got 6 decades which means 60 years (to rule at the Centre). They failed to deliver the goods. But in nine years (of BJP rule at Centre) enormous development has taken place... and the world is singing the praises of India. When so much work can take place in just nine years, why the same could not take place in all those years?” Modi asked, without naming the Congress.
“They played with the emotions of the poor and divided society on caste lines. They are committing this sin even now,” asserted Modi, hitting out at the opposition.
He maintained that anti-BJP parties do not like the fact that the country is nowadays being praised at global forums.
“When the entire world is praising the country and sees their future in India, there are those who indulge in politics and are unable to see anything except their chair...they do not like India being praised the world over. These anti-development people are trying to prove that nothing has happened in the nation and they have pain in their stomach (over India’s praise),” he said.
“They have only one thing in their mind — hatred against the nation and its policies. In hate they forget the country’s achievements,” the PM added.