JOIN USBe a real Hindu like us, Congress leader Adhir dares BJP
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Wednesday hit out at the Modi government accusing it of conducting an “ideological surgical strike” on Mahatma Gandhi by calling him an “agent of the British” and “Pujya Bapu” virtually in the same breath.
Chowdhury also accused the Modi government of “cherry-picking” quotes of icons such as Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi to further their agenda and ignoring the larger message of unity and harmony.
“Don't be a fake Hindu, be a real Hindu like us,” the leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha said while participating in the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address to Parliament.
Chowdhury claimed that the Modi government has begun to retreat from its positions on the National Registry of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR) against the strong fight back by the people of India.
He claimed that the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and NPR was a “sinister design” of the government to create a Hindu-Muslim divide in the country.
“It has been foiled by the common people of every religion, every class, every age group who got together and launched an agitation against it,” Chowdhury claimed.
In an apparent reference to BJP leader Anantkumar Hegde's purported remarks against Mahatma Gandhi, Chowdhury said “in Karnataka you call him a British agent, and at the same time fill up the President's Address with 'Pujya Bapu'.”
“Don't carry out an ideological surgical strike, you will be in trouble,” he said asking BJP leaders to read the Constitution carefully.
He also hit out at the Prime Minister for limiting the political discourse around three themes – Muslims, Pakistan and Imran Khan and maintaining silence on issues such as unemployment, fall in manufacturing and economic slowdown.
Chowdhury also expressed concern over China's attempts at increasing its influence in Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar and the government's complete silence on the issue.