Shabbir Ali slams Modi for divisive remarks

Hyderabad: Congress senior leader and Advisor to the Telangana Government Mohammed Ali Shabbir has strongly condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks alleging that the Congress' election manifesto bears resemblance to the Muslim League.

Shabbir Ali expressed deep disappointment at PM Modi's divisive rhetoric, which discriminates against people based on their religion. He found it perplexing that despite ten years of governance claims, PM Modi feels compelled to resort to Hindu-Muslim rhetoric to bolster his chances in the upcoming elections.

He reminded that historically, it has been the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that has supported Muhammad Ali Jinnah, not the Congress. He emphasized that the Congress has consistently opposed the Muslim League, unlike the BJP, which has shown support. Therefore, due to his ideological proximity, PM Modi should be familiar with the historical stance of the Muslim League during the pre-independence period. The Congress has always stood against divisive politics and refrained from endorsing ideologies that propagate hatred and division among the populace, he said.

In a media statement on Sunday, Shabbir Ali highlighted the BJP's historical fondness for Mohammed Ali Jinnah and his Muslim League, citing instances where senior BJP leaders such as Lal Krishna Advani and Jaswant Singh openly praised Jinnah. He challenged PM Modi to explain why Syama Prasad Mukherjee, Jana Sangh's founder and Hindu Mahasabha's president, formed a coalition government with the Muslim League in Bengal, Sindh, and the North West Frontier Province. Furthermore, he urged Modi to clarify whether or not BJP leaders L.K. Advani and Jaswant Singh had indeed praised Jinnah.

He criticized PM Modi for his contradictory stance, pointing out that while he advocates for 'SabkaSaath, Sabka Vikas', he simultaneously targets the Muslim community.

He demanded clarification from Modi regarding whether he intends to target an organisation, the Muslim League, which became defunct in India after independence, or the entire Muslim community merely because of the term "Muslim" in its name. He raised questions about PM Modi's treatment of Indian Muslims as equal citizens and whether he harbours aversion towards their ideas and contributions.