Jhoothjeevi: Modi was preparing ‘communal pitch’ says Cong

New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been indulging in polarisation throughout the election and preparing a ‘communal pitch’, but it refused to play on that and pursued its ‘paach nyay’ agenda.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh’s attack came over Modi’s remarks in an interview in which he had said that he has never uttered a word against minorities, and the BJP has “not just today but never” acted against them. Ramesh claimed that Modi’s entire campaign from April 19 has been based on ‘communalisation’ with the Hindu-Muslim rhetoric throughout and “no talk of Viksit Bharat, Modi ki guarantee, or issues of the farmers, youth, women, workers, SCs, STs and OBCs”.

Asked about the remarks, Ramesh said, “What nonsense is he talking about. This Prime Minister is fast losing his memory. He has never had any adherence to truth. He is ‘jhoothjeevi’, but now what he says today, he forgets tomorrow and says he never said it.” “Of course, he has been attacking the Congress party and has been talking of Hindu-Muslim,” he said.

Ramesh said the PM had raised the issue of ‘Muslim League’ imprint on the Congress manifesto, the mangalsutra remarks and the allegation that the Congress will give reservations on the basis of religion, which were all ‘bogus statements’. “This is the Prime Minister who, when asked some years ago whether he had any remorse at the killings during the Gujarat riots, said even when a small puppy comes under a car, one feels bad. This is the language that he has used,” Ramesh said.