'Modi following Jinnah, trying to create Hindu Rashtra'

Senior Congress leader Tarun Gogoi on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "adopting Jinnah's path to polarise India" and said the Centre was trying to create a 'Hindu Rashtra' by adopting the citizenship law, which goes against the tenets of democracy.

Addressing a press meet here, the former chief minister asserted that people across the country, including those of Assam, have come out in protest against the amended Citizenship Act as the Modi-led BJP government was trying to divide people on the basis of religion, language and culture.

"Not just the minority community, people from the majority community have also joined the protest. Unfortunately, Modi who had always insisted on 'sabka sath sabka vikas' (together we grow) did not perceive this. His support to the Act goes on to show how much he believes in democracy," he stated.

Taking a dig at the prime minister, who had recently claimed in Jharkhand that the decision to pass the citizenship bill in Parliament was "1000 per cent correct", Gogoi alleged that Modi was a "Jinnah bhakt".

The PM had said during a rally in poll-bound Jharkhand that the "Congress and its allies were stoking fire over the Citizenship Act, and their actions reflect that the decision to pass the bill in Parliament was 1,000 per cent correct".

The veteran Congress leader said Modi did not have any regard for the ideals and philosophies of Babasaheb Ambedkar, Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru.

"Just as Jinnah created a separate country for the Muslims, Modi, too, was adopting his path to create a 'Hindu Rashtra' (country for Hindus)," he maintained.

Contending that there was a sense of insecurity among the minorities, the three-time CM said, "This is a not a good sign for India. All of us have to live together. Our country cannot be divided on the basis of religion."