E-Paper
Kiren Rijiju's ‘warning to Muslims’ as he takes ‘ABCD’ dig at Rahul Gandhi
Kiren Rijiju alleged that the Congress uses Muslims as a vote bank, and asked Hindus and others not to become the victims of divide and rule policies.
Union minister Kiren Rijiju has accused the Congress of dividing the Hindus and appeasing the Muslims. In an interview with news agency IANS, the Parliamentary affairs minister alleged that the Congress uses Muslims as a vote bank.
“During elections, the Congress says its 15 per cent vote share (in reference to the Muslim support) is reserved. This reflects the mindset of the party. It's quite well known that the Congress views Muslims as its vote bank... that's a huge loss for the Muslims,” IANS quoted Kiren Rijiju as saying.
Sharing a clip of his interview on social media platform X on Sunday, the Union minister wrote, “My warning to the Muslims: Do not become vote bank of the Congress! My warning to Hindus & others: Do not become the victims of divide & rule Policies of the Congress Party.”
“The Congress believes that Muslims will always vote for it. How can the Muslim community develop amid such a thought process?” Kiren Rijiju said.
The minister further alleged that even when Baba Saheb resigned as law minister, the “Congress party continued to humiliate the architect of Indian Constitution”.
Rijiju said a significant part of the Congress' planning has been to keep Muslims as its vote bank while dividing the Hindus.
“Rahul Gandhi does not even know the ABCD about the problems and issues faced by the people belonging to the SC, ST and OBCs. Yet, he keeps talking about SC, ST and OBCs all the time. He has been taught to speak like that (by latching on to the subject of SC, ST and OBCs),” Rijiju, who is also the minority affairs minister said.
Recently, Rijiju lashed out at the Congress saying that the party made Muslims poor in the last 60 years.
“I want to ask our Muslims, who made you poor in the last 60 years? The Congress did it. Today PM Modi opens bank accounts for you (Muslims), builds houses for you, and gives water, electricity, and loans. He treats all Indians equally. The benefit goes to everyone. So why should all Muslim votes go to Congress?... Misusing one community is a wrong thing. I warn Congress, don't make Muslims vote banks. This time we will make sure that minority votes don't go to Congress. We will go to people with a clear message,” news agency ANI quoted Rijiju as saying.
Last month, Rahul Gandhi accused the Bharatiya Janata Party government of being a “mute spectator” in the face of “continuous attacks” on minorities, especially Muslims, and demanded the strictest action against “anarchist elements” behind such incidents.
Gandhi's comments come in the wake of two incidents of mob violence in BJP-ruled Haryana and Maharashtra.
On August 27, a Muslim migrant from West Bengal was beaten to death allegedly by cow vigilantes in Haryana's Charkhi Dadri over suspicions that he had eaten beef. Another person was injured in the attack.
In Maharashtra, an elderly man was abused and beaten up in a train on the suspicion of carrying beef. He was travelling to Kalyan.
Sharing screenshots of the two incidents, videos of which have been doing the rounds on social media, Gandhi said those who have climbed the ladder of power by using hatred as a political weapon are continuously establishing the rule of fear in the country.
(With inputs from agencies)
