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Congress leader Jairam Ramesh hit back at the BJP, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ask his MPs to do their "homework" following sharp criticism from Union Minister JP Nadda in the Rajya Sabha, who accused the Opposition of "appeasement politics" over their stance on reservation for Muslims based on backwardness.
In a post on X, Ramesh said, "Today, in the Rajya Sabha, the Indian National Congress was accused of appeasement for supporting the issue of providing reservation to Muslims on the basis of backwardness. Here, one can see what the Prime Minister himself had said on this subject on 9 February 2022. The Prime Minister should tell his MPs that they should do their homework better." Ramesh also attached a short clip of an old interview of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in which he can be heard speaking about backwardness within sections of the Muslim community. In the clip, Modi says, "For instance, in my state, Gujarat, in the Muslim community, I believe there are about 70 such castes that are OBC. And when I was in Gujarat, they used to receive benefits under the OBC category. But I never see in the media." https://x.com/Jairam_Ramesh/status/2038550220691104037 The response came after Nadda launched a strong critique of the Congress-led INDIA bloc in the Upper House, questioning its commitment to democratic values and parliamentary functioning. Addressing the House, the senior BJP leader expressed concern over what he described as the Opposition's lack of interest in meaningful debate and adherence to constitutional principles. Nadda alleged that the INDIA bloc was primarily driven by appeasement politics aimed at consolidating the Muslim vote bank, claiming that such an approach risks creating divisions in society for electoral gain. His remarks drew sharp reactions from Opposition benches, leading to protests and interruptions during the proceedings. "I condemn this appeasement politics of the Opposition," Nadda said, asserting that such practices weaken democratic institutions and undermine healthy parliamentary discourse. In a pointed jibe at the Congress, he added that the party should not remain "held hostage to the actions of an immature child." (ANI)
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