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Former finance minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram alleged that the "level of debate has sunk to a new low after April 21," referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech in a public rally in Rajasthan's Banswara.
"I cannot recall that any other prime minister had made such outrageous statements like PM Modi did at Jalore & Banswara in Rajasthan yesterday. Each sentence outdid the previous sentence in its absolute falsehood and brazen mendacity," Chidambaram said in a post on X. The veteran leader also questioned the Bharatiya Janata Party on claims against the Congress party regarding alleged announcements to distribute people's land and other valuables among Muslims, among others. "Will the BJP tell the world: a) when and where did the Congress say that we will distribute people's land, gold and other valuables among Muslims? b) when and where did the Congress say that a survey will be conducted to value the property of individuals, gold held by women and silver owned by tribal families? c) When and where did the Congress say that land and cash belonging to government employees will also be distributed?," Chidambaram said in the post. "The Prime Minister must have some respect for his predecessor. Dr Manmohan Singh's speech to the NDC in December 2006 has been reproduced in the Indian Express today. Dr Singh had said that the first claim on resources lies with SC, ST, OBC, minorities, women and children. It is scandalous to distort his words as Mr. Modi has done. The level of debate has sunk to a new low after April 21. It is a shame," the post mentioned. Earlier in the day, a delegation led by senior Congress leader and Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi met with the Election Commission of India, urging to take "appropriate action" against the Prime Minister 'irrespective of the status of the person' over his alleged speech. In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Today an @INCIndia delegation comprising of Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Gurdeep Sappal, and Supriya Shrinate met with the Election Commission of India at 4 PM and put forward 16 complaints against the BJP and other actors for violations of The Representation of the People Act, 1951, various judgements of the Supreme Court, and the ECI's Model Code of Conduct. We hope that immediate action will be taken on these very legitimate complaints." Singhvi said that the Prime Minister's statement was 'seriously, ridiculously objectionable'. "Most important is the first one, which deals with the extremely objectionable comments of no less than the Chief Executive of this government. We respect the office he holds. He is as much our Prime Minister as he is yours and he is BJP's. Unfortunately, the statement we have quoted is seriously, ridiculously objectionable. We pray to him (PM Modi) with folded hands to withdraw this statement and to clarify. We have asked the Election Commission to state that this is the position in law, we will do in his respect, whatever we do with others," the senior Congress leader told reporters earlier in the day. He called the speech a "very serious, uncalled-for invasion" of the Constitution's basic structure and appealed to the ECI for action. "The constitutional ethos and spirit that make secularism a basic structure in our Constitution make a level playing field and democracy itself a part of the basic structure. A basic structure means that a constitutional amendment cannot violate the basic structure. This is a very serious, uncalled-for invasion and we hope and trust because the ECI is itself on trial that, irrespective of the status of the person who has done this appropriate action as in any other case, it will and must follow shortly," Singhvi said. PM Modi, earlier on April 21, while addressing a public rally in Rajasthan's Banswara, alleged that the Congress wants to take away the gold and property of people and distribute it among "those having more children."The Prime Minister said that if the Congress came to power, it would redistribute the wealth of people to Muslims and cited former PM Manmohan Singh's remark that the minority community had the first claim on the country's resources. Modi further alleged that the Congress plans to give people's hard-earned money and valuables to "infiltrators" and "those who have more children". He further claimed that the "Urban Naxal" thinking wouldn't even spare the 'Mangalsutra'. "When they (Congress) were in government, they said that Muslims have the first right over India's resources. So, they will distribute this wealth (property and gold) among those having more children, among illegal immigrants...this Urban Naxal thinking won't even spare your Mangalsutra," he added. (ANI)
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