In a sharp retort to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Muslim League” remark on the Congress manifesto, senior party leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said history does not change by “showering lies” from political platforms.
Asserting that the 2024 Lok Sabha election is a battle between two ideologies, the Gandhi scion said, “History is witness to who joined hands with forces which wanted the division of the country and strengthened them, and who fought for the unity and independence of the country.”
Referring to BJP ideologue Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Gandhi asked, “Who stood with the British during the ‘Quit India Movement’? When India’s jails were filled with Congress leaders, who was running the government in the states with the forces that divided the country?”
He further added, “On one side, there is Congress party which has always united India and on the other side, there are those who have always tried to divide the people.”
His strong reaction came days after PM Modi slammed the Lok Sabha election manifesto of the Congress party, saying it reflected the thinking of Jinnah’s Muslim League during the freedom struggle.
“The manifesto released by the Congress reflects the same thinking that was prevalent in the Muslim League during the freedom struggle. The Congress manifesto completely bears the imprint of the Muslim League and the little remaining part, it is dominated by the Leftists. Congress is not visible in this,” Modi said during an election rally last week.
Following his remarks, the Congress party moved the Election Commission and lodged a formal complaint against the Prime Minister.
“By propagating false, uninformed and vexatious claims, Shri Narendra Modi has attempted to evoke an emotional response from the electorate by using the horrors of Partition, in a bid to polarise voters,” said the memorandum submitted by the Congress party to the EC.
The poll panel is yet to respond to the Congress party’s complaint against the prime minister.
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