Amid ‘Muslims’ remark row, PM claims ‘Hanuman Chalisa a crime’ under Cong rule

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched yet another scathing attack at the Congress in Rajasthan, saying “listening to Hanuman Chalisa becomes a crime” under the party’s rule.
Addressing a rally in Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, PM Narendra Modi claimed the Congress – which spearheaded the previous Rajasthan government — had banned Ram Navami in the state.
“In the rule of Congress, even listening to Hanuman Chalisa becomes a crime. Rajasthan has been its sufferer…For the first time on Ram Navami this time, a Shobha Yatra procession was taken out in Rajasthan…In a state like Rajasthan where people chant Ram-Ram, Congress banned Ram Navami,” PM Narendra Modi said.
In the rally, PM Modi mentioned an assault on a shopkeeper in Congress-ruled Karnataka for allegedly playing Hanuman Chalisa.
“While talking to you today on Hanuman Jayanti, I remember a picture from a few days ago. A few days ago, in Congress-ruled Karnataka, a shopkeeper was brutally beaten up only because he was listening to Hanuman Chalisa while sitting in his shop,” PM Modi said.
Referring to his remark that the Congress had promised to snatch away people’s hard-earned money and distribute it among Muslims, PM Modi said the party and the INDIA bloc were in a state of panic because he said the truth.
“The day before yesterday in Rajasthan, I put forth some truth in front of the country and the entire Congress and INDI alliance went into a panic. I put forth the truth that Congress is plotting to snatch your property and distribute it to their special people,” he added.
The Opposition has called PM Modi’s remark “hate speech”.
“When I exposed their politics, they got so angry that they started abusing Modi…I want to know from Congress why they are so afraid of the truth? Why do they hide their policy so much, when you yourself made the policy then why are you afraid to accept it now…If you have the courage then accept it, we are ready to face you,” PM Modi added.
PM Modi on Sunday claimed the Congress manifesto promised distribution of properties.
“Earlier, when their (Congress) government was in power, they had said that Muslims have the first right on the country’s assets. This means to whom will this property be distributed? It will be distributed among those who have more children,” PM Modi said in Rajasthan.
“It will be distributed to the infiltrators. Should your hard-earned money go to the infiltrators? Do you approve of this?” he added.
Reacting to the remarks, the Congress said PM Modi was trying to trigger communal polarisation.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor described the remarks as “disgraceful” and “nakedly communal appeal”.
The BJP, however, defended the comments, saying PM Modi had echoed people’s sentiments by calling “a spade a spade”.
With inputs from ANI