Weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of stating that Muslims have the first right to wealth, Singh refuted this claim, emphasizing that he has “never distinguished one community from another.”
In a letter to the nation ahead of the final phase of the Lok Sabha elections, Singh addressed the accusations indirectly, stating, “I have been closely following the political discourse during this election campaign. Modiji has resorted to divisive hate speeches that degrade the dignity of the Prime Minister’s office. No previous Prime Minister has used such vile, unparliamentary, and low-level language to target specific sections or the opposition. False statements have been attributed to me. I have never in my life distinguished one community from another. This divisive tactic is typical of the BJP.”
Singh appealed for peace and harmony, urging voters in Punjab to support development and progress. He specifically called on the youth to vote carefully for a future where democracy and the Constitution are protected, asserting that only Congress can guarantee a development-led, progressive future.
Last month, while campaigning in Rajasthan, PM Modi claimed, “Congress’s manifesto says they will inventory the gold held by mothers and daughters and redistribute that wealth. Manmohan Singh’s government had said Muslims have the first right to wealth. Brothers and sisters, this Urban Naxal thinking will not even spare the mangal sutras of my mothers and sisters.”
At a National Development Council meeting in December 2006, Singh had emphasized the need for judicious use of resources, stating, “Our collective priorities are clear: agriculture, irrigation and water resources, health, education, critical investment in rural infrastructure, and essential public investment needs of general infrastructure, along with programs for the upliftment of SCs/STs, other backward classes, minorities, and women and children. The component plans for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes need revitalization. We must devise innovative plans to ensure that minorities, particularly the Muslim minority, are empowered to share equitably in the fruits of development. They must have the first claim on resources.” The PMO clarified the next day that Singh’s reference to ‘first claim on resources’ pertained to all priority areas, including programs for SCs, STs, OBCs, women, children, and minorities.
In his letter, Singh criticized the BJP’s handling of the economy over the past decade, citing demonetization, mismanaged GST implementation, and poor pandemic management as causes of economic turmoil. He pointed out that annual GDP growth under the BJP government has fallen below 6 percent, compared to around 8 percent during the Congress-UPA era.
“While the Congress-UPA increased the purchasing power of our people despite challenges, the BJP government’s mismanagement has reduced household savings to a 47-year low,” he added.