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Mallikarjun Kharge to PM Modi: ‘Do only Muslims have more children? I have 5 because…’

PM Narendra Modi had sparked controversy as he alleged Congress manifesto of favouring muslims and distribute property based on number of children a family has.

Published on: May 1, 2024, 11:44:13 IST
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Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for blaming “Muslims for having more children”, saying that poverty leads to larger families. Mallikarjun Kharge said he even has five children.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addresses a public meeting ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. (ANI Photo) (ANI)
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addresses a public meeting ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. (ANI Photo) (ANI)

“We are heading for a majority; that is why he (Modi) now talks about 'Mangalsutra' and Muslims. He says we will steal your wealth and give it to those who have more children. Poor people always have more children,” Congress chief Kharge said, PTI reported.

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PM Modi alleged Congress manifesto favours Muslims

Last month, PM Narendra Modi sparked controversy with his comments on Muslims as he alleged that the Congress manifesto aims to distribute property based on the number of children a family has. Modi alleged that the Congress had previously said Muslims should receive priority in accessing the country's assets.

"The Congress manifesto says they will calculate the gold with mothers and sisters, get information about it and then distribute that property. They will distribute it to whom - Manmohan Singh's government had said that Muslims have the first right on the country's assets," Modi said during a Lok Sabha elections rally in Rajasthan's Banswara.

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"Earlier, when their (Congress) government was in power, they had said that Muslims have the first right to the country's assets. This means to whom will this property be distributed? It will be distributed among those who have more children. "It will distributed to the infiltrators. Should your hard-earned money go to the infiltrators? Do you approve of this?" the prime minister added.

ALSO READ- ‘Muslims use condoms the most’: Owaisi on PM Modi's ‘more children’ barb

Poor people have more children: Kharge

Reacting to PM's claim about his party's manifesto proposing to redistribute wealth to “those who have more children”, Kharge said, “Do only Muslims have them (children)? I have five.”

Priyank, Rahul, Priyadarshini, Jayashree, and Milind are Mallikarjun Kharge's children.

“I was the only son… My house was burnt and everyone died… My father said ‘I am alive only to see your children?’” Kharge said.

"Poor people have (more) children as they do not have wealth. But why do you (Modi) only keep talking about Muslims? Muslims belong to this country," he said, asking people not to get misled as "we have to build the country by taking everyone together, no like them (BJP) by breaking it," Kharge added.

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