PM Modi accuses Congress of speaking Pakistan's language, says it has taken wrong path on CAA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday attacked the Congress for its support to anti-CAA protests, accusing the party of speaking the language of Pakistan.

Prime Minister Modi, who was replying to the marathon debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address, said the opposition party has taken a wrong path, which can create problems for it and the country as well.

Modi also rubbished opposition allegations that the government was trying to divide Hindus and Muslims and asked if "anarchy" can do the country any good.

Modi said that India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had talked of problems of "minorities" in the neighbouring countries and the Congress was raising objections when the BJP-led government was fulfilling the words of its leaders.

The Prime Minister, who spoke for nearly 100 minutes, targeted Pakistan over its treatment of minorities since its inception and said the neighbouring country had tried to incite Muslims of India.

He accused the Congress of seeing Muslims as Muslims and not as Indians.

Modi said the government was fulfilling its responsibility towards the Constitution and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) does not impact any citizen including the minorities.

"The vote-bank politics has been rejected by the people but you continue to play vote-bank politics," he said.

Modi said the Congress, which has ruled the country for so many years and of whom people expected to play the role of a responsible opposition, has taken a "wrong path."

Modi said that he was giving a warning as the good of the country should be at everyone's heart.

"This path is going to create problems for you also, will put the country in trouble and I am giving this warning because all of us should be concerned for the country, its bright future," he said.

He asked if the assemblies in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, where the Congress is in power, take a decision and people do not agree and resort to processions and violence, what situation will be created.

"Can the country run like this? ... You have done so much wrong and that is why the people have made you sit in the opposition," Modi said amid interruptions from the Congress members.

He said the people in a democracy have a right to put their views but by "spreading lies and rumours, misleading people, we will not be able to do good of the country."

He said the questions were being asked why CAA was brought "in a hurry" and allegations were made that the government was causing divisions in society and breaking the country.

The Prime Minister said an "artificial fear" was sought to be created among the people.

"The people who stood with members of "Tukde, Tukde' gang, they are speaking. For decades Pakistan has been speaking the same language, saying these things. It has tried its utmost to provoke Indian Muslims, to mislead them but it is unable to carry out its designs. I am surprised that those who have been defeated by people are doing what the country could never have expected," he said.

Referring to the speeches of Congress members in which they had cited instances of participation of Muslims in the freedom struggle, Modi said that "all of them were Indians in our view."

"When the Congress and parties like it start looking at India from India's point of view, they will realise their mistake," he said.

Modi said that he was grateful to the "Congress and its ecosystem" and if they had not raised so much opposition to the CAA, the people of the country would not have come to know their real face.

"The country has seen who is with the country and who is with the party," he said.

He also targeted Congress over 1984 anti-Sikh riots, saying the people had been burnt and widowed mothers had to wait for three decades to get justice.

He made a veiled reference to Kamal Nath and said a person against whom allegations had been made in connection with the riots had been made a chief minister by the party. "Will there be two yardsticks (on minorities)," he asked.

Modi said the government was working with speed and determination and its vision was "greater investment, better infrastructure, and maximum job creation."

The Lok Sabha later adopted the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address.