Congress leader Rashid Alvi on Tuesday defended 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.
He said, “Certainly this is what Manmohan Singh had said that the people standing in the last line are the most backward people of the country and of course, Muslims are the most backwards in this country.”
Alvi further defended Manmohan Singh and said that he did not say that Muslims must be given first right to resources in the country. He had said that the most backward people have the first rights.
The Congress leader stated, “I don’t see any objection in this. Why does the Prime Minister have any objection when their government is giving a free ration to 80 crore people? Is it not their first right? If not, then why is he giving them a ration?”
Earlier on Sunday, while addressing a public event in Rajasthan’s Banswara, Prime Minister Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress party and said, “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, and distribute it to infiltrators.”
The PM further stated, “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, and sisters and then redistribute the wealth to those whom the Manmohan Singh government had said that the first right to resources is of Muslims. -TIN Bureau