Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday reiterated his earlier assertion that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh once stated that “Muslims have the first right to the country’s wealth.” Addressing an election rally in Bihar’s Araria Lok Sabha constituency, PM Modi criticized the Congress party and its ecosystem for denying Singh’s alleged statement, which sparked controversy.
“Some people get very angry when I talk about Congress giving priority to only Muslims. They have been talking about me since last week. Today, I challenge all of them,” PM Modi said, addressing the audience at the rally. He accused the media of selectively targeting him while ignoring evidence that could support his claims.
PM Modi referred to a new video that, according to him, shows Manmohan Singh reiterating his statement about minority rights. “The media which was denying my statements earlier are keeping quiet now. I was witnessing how the media was attacking me without any relevant information or even without doing a fact check,” he said.
In response to this claim, the BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya shared a video on X (formerly Twitter) where Manmohan Singh appears to be responding to questions from the media. In the video, Singh stated that he did not make the remark that Muslims have the first right to India’s wealth, but clarified his actual words: “I said minorities, particularly Muslim minorities, if they are poor, they have a prior claim on the resources of the nation. I used the word ‘all’ for all minorities, and I added, particularly Muslim minorities, if they are poor, they have prior right to resources, and I stand by it.”
PM Modi also accused Congress of diverting reservations meant for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) to Muslims in Karnataka, where the party is in power. He alleged that the Congress intended to replicate this “conspiracy” across the rest of India, including Bihar, where the Congress’s allies have remained silent on the issue.
“Being an OBC myself, I know the hardships faced by the backward classes,” PM Modi said. He further warned that Congress might loot reservations for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) as well.
These statements have rekindled the debate on minority rights and reservations in India, highlighting the ongoing political discourse surrounding identity politics and affirmative action. PM Modi’s remarks reflect the BJP’s focus on appealing to OBC and other backward class voters, while raising concerns about the Congress party’s approach to minority rights and social justice.
