Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Noida: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has never done politics on the basis of religion or by dividing the society and stressed that his predecessor Dr Manmohan Singh had in 2006 talked about extending reservation for the Muslims.
The defence minister made the remarks at an election rally in Greater Noida in support of BJP's Gautam Buddh Nagar Lok Sabha candidate Mahesh Sharma.
Prime Minister Modi on Sunday suggested that if the Congress comes to power, it would redistribute wealth of people to the Muslims and cited Dr Singh's remark that the minority community had the first claim on the country's resources.
Addressing a rally in Rajasthan's Banswara, Modi also alleged the Congress plans to give people's hard-earned money and valuables to 'infiltrators' and 'those who have more children'.
Addressing a gathering at Bisahda village in Greater Noida, the defence minister attacked the opposition for creating a ruckus at this time and trying to put a question mark on Prime Minister Modi.
"Sisters and brothers, it's not that I know the prime minister from today. We have had very good relations for a long time. He has never done politics of Hindu, Muslim and Christian. Our prime minister never thought of doing politics by dividing the society," Singh said.
'He (Modi) said at one place that Congress has said in its manifesto that we will get the properties surveyed. If it is said in the manifesto then why should people have any objection to it. What do you want to do by getting the properties surveyed? Do you want to distribute the country's resources equally? What do you want to do?' he asked.
The veteran BJP leader also asked the Congress to clear its position on the matter.
'Dr Manmohan Singh ji was the prime minister of India. I respect Dr Manmohan Singh ji even today, I have respect for him, brothers and sisters. Dr Manmohan Singh himself in the meeting of the National Defence Council at the Vigyan Bhawan on December 9, 2006, had said that if anyone has the first right on the property of this country, it is the minority and especially he had said that it belongs to the Muslims,' Singh said.
'Sisters and brothers, whatever property and whatever resources there are in this country, everyone should have equal rights, he had said this, we did not say this. Now when the prime minister said this, these people created an uproar over it,' he added.
Singh said the Congress-led government had in the past formed several commissions, which had recommended in their report that out of the 27 per cent reservation for the OBCs, 6 per cent should be for the Muslims and 2 per cent should be for the minorities.
'We did not make this commission,' he added.
Escalating his attack on the Congress, Singh said, 'It did not stop at this. If someone from the Scheduled Caste converts, he should be given reservation despite the change of religion. Not only this, they (Congress) also ended the reservation of SC-ST in Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University.' 'These people have formed the government by dividing the country equally on the basis of Hindu and Muslim,' he alleged.
The senior BJP leader stressed that his party does not want to make the country by dividing it on the basis of caste, creed, religion, Hindu, Muslim or Christian, but wants to make India a great country of the world by keeping everyone together.