Minorities all are feeling like second-grade citizens, says Priyank Kharge
Karnataka RDPR minister Priyank Kharge backed Rahul Gandhi's “What is happening to Muslims in India today” statement and said minorities are feeling insecure.
Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge's son Priyank Kharge on Wednesday said minorities including Dalits, tribals, SC/STs and other backward classes are feeling like second-grade citizens in India.
“Don't you feel that minorities, Dalits and tribals are feeling insecure? SCs, STs, backwards, and minorities all are feeling like second-grade citizens in the country,” the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (RDPR) minister said.
“Kindly have a look at what happened in Manipur, kindly have a look at what happened in Karnataka recently, with the Azan ban, jhatka cut and other issues that the BJP brought up,” he added.
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This comes shortly after senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's statements on alleged discrimination faced by Muslims in the country today. Gandhi was speaking at the 'Mohabbat Ki Dukaan' event in San Francisco, when he said, “What is happening to Muslims in India today, happened to Dalits in 1980s.”
"It is being felt by the Muslims most directly because it is done most directly to them. But in fact, it is done to all communities. The way you (Muslims) are feeling attacked, I can guarantee Sikhs, Christians, Dalits, and tribals are feeling the same. You can't cut hatred with hatred., but only with love and affection," He said.
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These statements were met with much rebuttal from the BJP, with numerous ministers saying Gandhi has “defamed” the country. Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Modi even said Muslims are the most secure and safe under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's regime "than ever" in the past.
“Muslims in the country have equally been beneficiaries of the various welfare schemes ranging from free LPG connections to toilets with Prime Minister Modi’s government functioning with a ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’ vision,” he added.